It's not just in low-budget cartoons where race leaders seemingly toy with one another at the front of the pack - edging forward, falling back, purring along neck-and-neck before some calamitous, ACME-inspired accident sends one competitor sprawling off a cliff. The solar industry has embarked on an equally edifying race to higher efficiencies over the past decade, but this week brought a similarly cartoonish spectacle. In the green and yellow car came SolarCity, scooting into view and blaring from its speakers that it had pushed PV module efficiencies to new heights - 22.04% efficiency based on mass production technology to be exact. This was enough to edge SolarCity ahead of its rivals, including SunPower - "SunPower always welcomes others to the efficiency race," read a SunPower statement - but only for a day. Flashing by in a blur of blue and white, Japan's Panasonic quickly took the lead, announcing on Tuesday that it had achieved a module-level efficiency of 22.5% for its latest mass-production ready panel. "The new panel efficiency record demonstrates once again Panasonic's proven leadership in PV and our ongoing commitment to move the needle in advanced solar technology," crowed Panasonic's Daniel Roca. So there you have it: you wait ages for a record-breaking solar panel to come along and then, like a pair of streamlined, solar-powered buses, two arrive at once. SunEdison cuts the fatRumors first began on Monday that global renewable energy giant SunEdison was planning to streamline its business operations, including cutting its workforce by around 10%. A day later the company confirmed that 15% of its global staff would be losing their jobs as the company incurred charges of between $30 - $40 million for restructuring, due for Q4 2015 and Q1 2016. "These charges primarily consist of severance and other benefits to terminated employees, most of which are expected to be paid out by the end of the fourth quarter of 2016," said a SunEdison filing. Then on Wednesday the company held an investor presentation in which it outlined its plans further. This presentation revealed that the company is to halt the transfer of assets to its two yieldcos, opting instead to hold more projects in warehouses. Another move sees SunEdison exit the U.K. market ...Den vollständigen Artikel lesen ...