Installations of solar panels worldwide this year are likely to rise more than one-third over 2010, according to a study released Tuesday.

Solar power company SunPower Corp. will cut about 125 jobs, or 2 percent of its workforce, as the company faces a global solar power market where prices and demand are stagnating.

Struggling solar manufacturers will likely be driven into mergers with rivals to survive a sector squeeze, a trend that could draw major Asian conglomerates deeper into the renewable energy sector.

Targray Technology International was selected by Giga Solar Materials as the global distributor for its back surface aluminum paste.

Under a new agreement announced today, OSM Solarform Corp. will manufacture around 20 megawatts worth of LDK Solar's photovoltaic modules at its Welland-based production line in Ontario.

Competition and global price cuts on components make it a great time for Australian households to go solar - particularly with electricity prices predicted to jump a national average of 17%.

Growing indignation on the part of leading Chinese PV manufacturers in relation to the ongoing trade dispute has spurred senior executives of 14 leading producers to gather and set out a coordinated plan of defence.

The challenging market conditions faced by all PV manufacturers in 2011 have led to many claiming poor visibility into business expectations next year. In recent third quarter conference calls many tier 1 suppliers refrained from giving any 2012 insight, with guidance provided near or during fourth quarter financial results early next year.

Thai Solar Energy Co., Southeast Asia's only solar-thermal energy producer, plans to spend more than 14 billion baht ($447 million) over the next five years to develop projects with a total capacity of 135 megawatts.

China's solar-panel supply glut is consolidating the industry and will likely slash the number of domestic manufacturers to 15 within half a decade, according to a research group at the nation's top economic planning agency.

Building new nuclear power stations will make it harder for the UK to switch to renewable energy, said one of the top German officials leading the country's nuclear energy phase-out.

China has launched a trade probe into US subsidies for renewable energy and is contemplating filing a case with the World Trade Organisation. The probe is the latest episode in the rapidly escalating trade dispute between the two countries that was sparked off by an anti-dumping petition from a group of US manufacturers last month.

The one millionth photovoltaic system has been connected to Germany's grid, according to the country's solar industry association, BSW-Solar.

For established manufacturers of solar panels, this has proved a difficult year, in the face of falling demand and a wave of cheap imports from China.

JA Solar Holdings Co., a Chinese maker of solar power products, reported a third-quarter net loss on Tuesday, weighed by sharply lower revenue and higher operating costs.

Third quarter results from Hanwha SolarOne echoed pricing pressure and weak demand, especially from Germany that led to margin pressure, inventory write downs and losses.

Several China-based solar power companies are reporting lackluster earnings today.

Chinese solar panel makers plan to shift some of their production to South Korea, Taiwan and the United States in hopes of defusing a trade case pending against them in Washington, according to industry executives.