Chinese solar company Suntech Power has announced the acquisition of California-based EI Solutions, a provider of large-scale photovoltaic power systems.

The company also revealed plans to triple US sales by bidding on commerical projects and rapidly expanding into the residential market. Indeed, EI is seen as a vital launchpad for the securing of lucrative commercial, utility and government contracts.

However, the ambitious Chinese solar company will almost certainly face stiff competition from Indian energy firms vying for dominance. As IT Examiner previously reported, the Indian photovoltaics market is expected to signifcantly expand in the near future.

For example, Massachusetts-based Spire recently won a contract from solar-energy company Green Brilliance (India) for the supply of a semi-automated crystalline silicon module manufacturing line. The advanced assembly line will allow Green Brilliance to produce up to 12MW of solar modules, or photovoltaic cells, per year. Spire also plans to provide the company with the relevant process technology and training to operate the factory independently.

In addition, the state of Himachal Pradesh and Solaryan Tech have agreed to construct a Rs 2,400 crore silicon solar panel manufacturing plant. The Indo-Norwegian company will utilise the new factory to produce a range of ultra-thin 200Mw solar panels. X

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