Suntech Power's ebullient Chief Executive Officer Shi Zhengrong got plenty of press at Davos for his proclamation that solar power will be able to compete without subsidies against conventional power sources in half the world by 2015.

In September alone, some 16,000 households had solar panels installed - twice as many as in June - as everyone from farmers to vicars to Mick Jagger (plus thousands of other canny home owners with 瞿12,000 to spare) scrambled to take advantage of generous government subsidies.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has approved a total of seven solar-power projects toward the end of 2011, according to records of the department.

Dow Corning's JV polysilicon subsidiary, Hemlock Semiconductor was impacted by overcapacity in 2011.

As part of REC Groups previously announced closure of certain wafer and cell production plants in Norway, a sale of the equipment from three plants is to be organised by surplus asset management firm, GoIndustry Dovebid.

Fears Germany will cap or cut green energy subsidies is boosting demand for solar panels, and uncertainty about the shape of the measures could give the country's battered solar sector an advantage against Chinese rivals.

JA Solar is the first Chinese PV producer to set up a TV SD certified TMP (Testing at Manufacturers' Premises) laboratory to enable faster and more cost-effective product certifications.

DuPont and Suntech Power Holdings announced that they had entered into a strategic agreement with an overall goal of augmenting the supply of PV materials and technologies in the global solar energy market.

A war is brewing between two coalitions of solar power providers-those who get materials from China and those who don't-and the outcome could have an impact on the future of American solar energy.

The US Department of Commerce said Monday that a late-2011 surge in Chinese solar-panel imports could affect the agency's pending decision on a dumping complaint filed by SolarWorld AG .

Following the amendment to the Quarto Conto Energia, GIFI, the Italian PV Industry Association, has said manufacturers are rising up to urge the government to repeal its decision on cutting FiTs for solar plants on agricultural land. Panic has spread through the PV manufacturing industry, where already financed projects will now not provide as much of a return as under the original legislation.

Solar-power stations take up a lot of room.

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc said on Tuesday it has not firmed up plans to build solar power plants in Japan because the government there has yet to determine a key solar subsidy.

According to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the global new solar capacity grew 54% to nearly 28GW in 2011 with Germany and Italy leading in installations.