Wacker blames low poly prices for Q1 profit slump
Lower prices for polysilicon, combined with higher energy costs, pushed Wacker Chemie’s operating result for the first quarter of 2019 more than expected. However, the German company remains committed to its original annual forecast for 2019.
Sunman brings glass-free PV modules to European market
Power provider Stadtwerke Waldkirch has built a 264 kW PV system in Germany with Sunman’s glass-free modules, as a titanium rooftop at the project site made it impossible to use conventional modules.
Centrotherm exceeds guidance in 2018
The German PV equipment provider recorded consolidated sales of €180 million and an EBITDA of €6.6 million last year. However, order intake from the PV industry was lower than in the previous year.
Manz, Singulus report sales increases for 2018
The two German PV equipment suppliers registered revenue increases last year and both expect positive business development in 2019.
ITRPV tenth edition: Module prices fell almost a third in 2018
German engineering association the VDMA expects PV system prices to continue to fall, as set out in the latest International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics report. Falling production costs and rising cell and module performance levels will secure long term competitiveness for PV in the energy mix, says the report. VDMA estimates global production capacity for PV modules reached 150 GW last year.
Manz reports higher sales and positive earnings for 2018
The PV equipment manufacturer said solar sales remained stable. Major CIGS contracts with Chinese partners Shanghai Electric Group and China Energy Investment Corporation dominated the company’s PV business.
Germany deployed 579 MW of new solar capacity in January
Last month’s jump in new installations was mainly due to the pending FIT cut for installations not larger than 750 kW.
Siemens makes its play in residential storage business
The Junelight Smart Battery lithium-ion product has been designed for homeowners and has a storage capacity of up to 19.8 kWh.
Unsubsidized 175 MW solar project under development in Germany
EnBW is planning a big solar park in Weesow-Willmersdorf, in the northeastern region of Brandenburg. If built, the project would become Germany’s largest solar plant. The company says it has a pipeline of unsubsidized projects with a combined capacity of 800 MW.
Tesla acquires storage specialist Maxwell Technologies
The target company, which specializes in supercapacitors, will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elon Musk’s business.
