American module and system manufacturer SunPower has announced that it will open a new plant in Mexico. It will produce the SunPower E18, E19 and E20 modules and the SunPower T5 Solar Roof Tile system.

Market analysts Solarbuzz have reported that despite the slow domestic economy, photovoltaics in the U.S. continues to expand with the market doubling in 2011.

First Solar has announced its quarter two (Q2) 2011 results, revealing sales of US$533 million, a decline of $34,5 million, or six percent, from quarter one (Q1) 2011. Sales were also down on six-month figures from 2010, by almost $56 million. Gross profits for the quarter also fell by $89,396 million from 2010. Profit decline from the first six-months of this year was $111,777.

Chinese wafer and module manufacturer ReneSola has announced the introduction of two new aspects to its production with the potential to decrease costs and increase output.

Californian utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has announced that it has entered into a deal with Sempra Generation for a 150 megawatt (MW) expansion of the vast Copper Mountain photovoltaic complex in the state of Nevada. The project will utilize First Solar ground mounted thin-film modules.

Photovoltaic manufacturing equipment and materials supplier GT Solar has reported strong revenue, gross margin and earnings per share growth, in its first quarter (Q1) report for the fiscal year 2012. The company has also reiterated its fiscal 2012 guidance in the range of $1 billion to $1.1 billion and raised its gross margin guidance by one percentage point to 43 percent to 45 percent.

The United Kingdom’s (U.K.) largest water and sewerage company, Thames Water, has signed a deal to become the biggest on-site photovoltaic producer and industrial user, in a deal with Ennoviga Solar. The deal will see photovoltaic arrays installed and expanded on a number of Thames Water sites.

In what appears to be one of the photovoltaic industry’s particularly grubby battles, the Non Toxic Solar Alliance’s (NTSA) backers have received a stern reprimand from a public relations regulatory body, the German Council for Public Relations (DRPR).

Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer LDK Solar has announced today that it will supply Advanced Solar Products, New Jersey, with 58,803 modules for a privately owned, net metered solar project. The project worth 14.1 megawatts (MW) has been initiated by the McGraw-Hill Companies in East Windsor, New Jersey.

In a move that signals its intention to move into the U.S. market, S-Energy has signed an agreement with project developer Cenergy Power to develop a nine megawatt (MW) photovoltaic installation.