Domestic Solar Power Firms Achieve Good Results in US, EU Markets

As domestic photovoltaic firms are showing good results in the U.S. and Europe, they are expanding their overseas businesses. It is a move to strengthen their foothold in the market, which is expected to pick up next year.

According to industry sources on Oct. 1, OCI and LG Chem are supplying solar power panels and batteries, respectively, to Berlin-based solar power solutions provider Younicos to provide the battery-based energy storage systems (ESS) for its Texas project. Younicos has won an order by turnkey to provide a 1 MW battery system for a solar plant in Austin, which is expected to be established in early 2016. Younicos and OCI have a strategic partnership.

LG Chem has also signed an agreement with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) of the U.S. to supply 1 MW/2 MWh battery ESSs for a solar power project in the country.

Hansol Technics made an agreement with Tigo Energy of the U.S. on Sept. 21. Integrating Tigo Energy’s TS4 solar power module platform with its own Ingot and Sapphire technologies, the company is planning to accelerate a market invasion at home and abroad.

Hanwha Q CELLS established a French subsidiary and opened its first branch office in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, which is famous for its long hours of sunshine. Also, it opened a warehouse in Lyon. Hanwha Q CELLS is already operating about 50 power generators in France, and is planning to make more efforts to take over the local market through the new subsidiary.

The global solar power market is highly likely to look up until next year. Market research firm IHS expects that the shipments of solar power modules next year will increase 10 percent from this year.