Jinchen in America: Chinese solar PV manufacturing equipment maker Yingkou Jinchen Machinerty Co., Ltd. unveiled its ‘groundbreaking’ Hetero Perovskite Tandem (HPT) technology at the recently concluded Intersolar North America 2025. As the name suggests, this machine integrates heterojunction (HJT), XBC and perovskite technologies. Jinchen says it holds fully independent intellectual property rights over this HPT technology that offers the potential of high-efficiency and low-cost solutions for the global market. “Several perovskite tandem projects have entered the substantive negotiation phase, reflecting strong market confidence in Jinchen's technical capabilities,” stated Jinchen. The Chinese company also exhibited its tubular PECVD anti-conduction technology, which it claims leads to the low-cost, mass production of PERTOP solar cells. Its latest stringer machines were also crowd pullers at the event. The company has set up a dedicated US service tram at Groveport Technical Service Center in Ohio to strengthen its North American presence. Jinchen will also be attending the 1st TaiyangNews Solar Technology Conference India 2025—How to Lift PV Manufacturing to the Next Level where it will present the company’s TOPCon cell equipment and module line solutions. The 2-day in-person event will be held on April 10 and 11, 2025 in Aerocity, New Delhi. Registrations for the India event can be done here.
ES Foundry’s 300 MW deal: ES Foundry has secured a 300 MW Made in USA solar cell supply contract with US, Indiana-based solar module manufacturer Bila Solar. ES Foundry will ensure the supply of its high-performance solar cells under a multi-year agreement from its South Carolina factory that came online in early 2025. It produces high-efficiency monocrystalline bifacial PERC solar cells. Both the partners believe such modules will help solar developers access the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) 10% domestic content bonus credit, especially for ground-mounted projects such as fixed tilt, and carport solar applications. Bila Solar starts the production of its new line of domestic cell modules in May 2025.
First Solar’s TOPCon patents: US solar manufacturer First Solar has signed a license deal with Talon PV for its TOPCon cell manufacturing patents. The latter plans to use this technology for its n-type TOPCon solar cell manufacturing plant scheduled to come online in Q1 2026 and will add 4 GW of annual solar cell capacity by Q1 2027 to the American solar supply chain. First Solar primarily uses cadmium telluride (CdTe) technology for its thin-film solar modules, but its TetraSun acquisition in 2013 brought with it TOPCon patents and related international counterparts. These patents include issued patents in the US, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE, and Vietnam. Validities of these patents extend to 2030 and beyond. The company claims its patent portfolio includes pending applications in the EU, Japan, Hong Kong, the UAE and Vietnam. Recently, Talon PV signed a strategic solar cell supply deal with SEG Solar (see North America Solar PV News Snippets: California Assembly Member Bats For Virtual Power Plants & More).
Lawsuit against JinkoSolar: On the same day as announcing the license agreement with Talon PV, First Solar announced a lawsuit against Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar and its related entities for infringing on its US Patent No. 9,130,074 (the “‘074 Patent”). This covers the methods of manufacturing TOPCon cells. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the District of Delaware.
First Solar had launched an investigation into its TOPCon cell technology patent infringements against several manufacturers in July 2024. “Given the responses we received from other solar cell manufacturers in connection with our infringement investigations, we believe we have a strong TOPCon technology patent portfolio,” said First Solar’s Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Jason Dymbort. “Unfortunately, our interaction with JinkoSolar has been unproductive and left us with no choice but to enforce our patent rights through legal action,” he added.
JinkoSolar itself is pursuing TOPCon patent infringement lawsuits against companies like LONGi, VSUN Solar USA, TOYO Solar, and Waaree (see JinkoSolar Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against India’s Waaree).
Duke Energy Florida’s 300 MW solar plans: US utility Duke Energy Florida plans to add 4 new solar PV projects with 300 MW combined capacity to its portfolio. It has submitted its 2025 Solar Base Rate Adjustment (SoBRA) filing to the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC), outlining plans for the new solar energy sites it is pursuing this year. The utility expects to invest over $521 million to establish these projects and bring them online by the summer of 2026. With an individual capacity of 74.9 MW, these projects are:
Sundance Renewable Energy Center in Madison County
Half Moon Renewable Energy Center in Sumter County
Rattler Renewable Energy Center in Hernando County, and
Bailey Mill Renewable Energy Center in Jefferson County.
At present, Duke Energy Florida owns and operates around 1.5 GW solar capacity. Between 2025 and 2027, it aims to add 12 new solar sites with 900 MW capacity. By the end of 2033, it targets an operational portfolio of over 6.1 GW of utility-scale solar projects.
121 MW deal for Louth Callan Renewables: US-based renewable energy EPC firm Louth Callan Renewables has expanded into the Midwest region with a 121 MW solar projects contract in Illinois. This comprises multiple solar farms across the state whose construction will generate more than 400 direct and indirect jobs during the planning, construction and operational phases.
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