Longi denies rumors about factory closures in Southeast Asia
Chinese manufacturer Longi says it is not shutting down its factory in Malaysia, nor it is idling its production lines in Vietnam, but it acknowledges that it is implementing production adjustments at these facilities.
US, Canada ramp up solar glass plans
With PV module capacity ramping up, glass suppliers have been investing in new solar glass production capacity. As in India and China, new facilities are popping up in North America, with unique twists to ensure competitiveness, such as using recycled material.
Vsun starts production at wafer facility in Vietnam
Japan-based solar manufacturer Vsun’s new facility produces n-type silicon wafers and is expected to be ready for full production by the end of the month.
The Hydrogen Stream: Stadler finalizes longest hydrogen train test
Stadler says it has wrapped up a hydrogen train test, while Ballard has secured a long-term agreement to supply 1,000 hydrogen fuel cell engines through 2027.
GoodWe opens inverter factory in Vietnam
China’s GoodWe has commenced operations at a manufacturing facility in Vietnam. The plant specializes in grid-tied and hybrid inverters.
VSun Solar signs polysilicon supply deal with OCI
OCI has agreed to supply polysilicon to Toyo Solar, the cell production subsidiary of VSun Solar, in order to support wafer production.
The solar rebound effect in residential PV
The rebound effect consists of a reduction in expected gains from a more resource-efficient technology as a result of behavioral or systemic change. An international research team has investigated this phenomenon in the residential PV segment in Vietnam and has found that it could happen in any country where the policy supporting solar power is not fully and scientifically explained.
Draft Vietnamese rooftop PV decree sends ‘negative signal,’ says analyst
Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) is drafting a new rooftop PV decree that rules out the possibility for homeowners to sell excess energy back to the grid. Apricum analyst Moritz Stitcher tells pv magazine that the mechanism sends the wrong message for the sector.
Toyo Solar inaugurates 4 GW TOPCon solar cell factory in Vietnam
Toyo Solar, a subsidiary of Vsun Solar, commissioned a 4 GW TOPCon cell factory, completing the first phase of an 8 GW manufacturing facility in Vietnam.
The ‘next big thing’
The PV industry in Southeast Asia has come a long way since guest author Ragna Schmidt-Haupt, partner at Everoze, reported on solar financing innovation in the region more than a decade ago. In this article, she outlines five factors for success, the newest of which has the potential to become a game changer, and not only in Southeast Asia.
