The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties of the Ministry of Commerce has initiated anti-dumping investigations into the import of solar cells from China, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei and the US.

Shipments of both polysilicon and solar wafers at GCL-Poly, China's largest producer, fell significantly in the third quarter of 201 underlining the overall weakness in demand from major tier-one module manufacturing customers based in China.

The Australian government said it will phase out a solar incentive program in January, six months earlier than scheduled, to cut electricity bills for homes and businesses next year by as much as AUD100 million (US$103 million).

US International Trade Commission (ITC) unanimously confirmed the imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties between 24% and 255% on imports of crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) cells from China, and modules made from those cells.

China-based producers on Thursday protested the US latest decision to slash trade duties on solar energy products from China.

The European Union launched an investigation on Thursday into alleged state subsidies for China-based solar panel manufacturers, intensifying a trade war between the two centered on the multi-billion dollar solar power market.

Knowledge Economy Minister Hong Suk-woo said these were "non-core" parts and were not a safety threat

A joint venture between Sumitomo and Kazakhstan's state-owned Kazatomprom uranium mining group officially opened a rare earth metal plant Friday in the former Soviet republic.

Poland's draft renewables bill would give much greater support to large solar plants through a new feed-in tariff (FIT) and green-certificate programme.

Australia only solar panel manufacturing plant is optimistic about being able to compete with China, which supplies up to 85% of the Australian market.

The strong Japanese yen has hurt the country's export competitiveness, while demand has evaporated as growth slowed in most regions. Meanwhile, the country's energy imports have risen following closures of most of its nuclear plants.

LDK Solar, the second-biggest maker of wafers that convert the sun's energy to electricity, rose the most in almost a year after China-based investors purchased a minority stake.

Marubeni Corporation has announced its plans to build an 81.5 MW photovoltaic plant in Japan's Oita prefecture.