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PV Japan has opened today while a battle over the composition of the committee, which will determine the specifics of the renewable energy feed-in tariff (FIT), rages.

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) voted unanimously (6-0) on Friday, December 2, to go forward with an investigation into whether “dumped and subsidized” imports from China have materially injured the U.S. domestic solar industry.

Despite significant financial incentives and a large project pipeline, comparatively few photovoltaic systems have been installed in Ontario thus far. The solar industry is now relying on faster approval phases, greater acceptance on the part of the banks and dynamic adjustment of the feed-in tariffs (FIT) to decline prices.

Solar product manufacturer, JA Solar has completed its previously announced takeover of Silver Age Holdings Limited.

Cutting red tape is the focus of the U.S. Rooftop Solar Challenge, which was yesterday awarded $12 million by the Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot program. The project will see 22 regional teams working towards cutting costs and reducing barriers for residential and small commercial photovoltaic systems.

A study released this week, by the Australian Photovoltaic Association (APVA), has shown that while photovoltaic systems are approaching or have realized retail cost competitiveness throughout the country, large-scale ground mounted installations require government support to compete on the wholesale market.

Imec and Kaneka have developed a silver-free heterojunction silicon solar cell, with a conversion efficiency of over 21 percent. Imec speaks to pv magazine about the achievement and states that the use of copper in commercial cell production could come sooner than many think.

In the latest development of the U.S.-China trade dispute, the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) has issued a statement on behalf of the country’s photovoltaic companies. In it, it said there is “no intention” of starting a trade war, but that the Chinese solar companies will fight those who have petitioned against them.

2011 may well have been characterized by a number of controversial issues, including declining module prices, insolvencies, production cutbacks, consolidation, the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and the U.S.-China trade dispute. However, not all is lost: while many of the traditional solar markets are suffering, a number of emerging markets are working hard to fill the void.

Gestamp Solar is a Spanish-based developer and operator of utility-scale photovoltaic plants across 25 countries. To date, it has installed around 300 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaics. However, as senior engineer, Rusty Sage tells pv magazine, the company is ambitious in its goal-setting and plans to implement over 1.5 gigawatts (GW) worth of projects over the next five years.