Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

Erica Macke, co-founder and executive director of Grid Alternatives believes that for solar to gain widespread acceptance, and for it to reach the people who can benefit from it most, it needs to be seen not just through an environmental lens, but also as a "real-world solution to real-world problems". Corporate social responsibility (CSR), she argues, can help achieve this goal.

China’s energy demand is increasing so quickly that it can barely be met. Even though China is currently using almost all available energy resources, the country is still reliant on energy imports. Additionally, China is also one of the fastest growing PV markets.

Co-Chairman of Astonfield Renewable Resources, Sourabh Sen, looks inside the intriguing and extremely promising Indian market. He says solar development in India is a bit of a paradox. On one hand, it is like the "Wild West" of American folklore, where anything goes. On the other hand, the solar market in India is one of the most rigidly planned markets in the world, and developers must be on top of their game (and financial models) to turn a profit.

On the back of the U.S.-China trade dispute, Sunfaith’s senior analyst, Joe Pan takes a look at the Chinese photovoltaic industry in relation to its global position. He argues that it is actually the growth of China’s market, which has boosted global development. He additionally believes that while China has experienced teething problems in the past, the country is busily working towards expanding its domestic solar market.

Shalom Goffri, associate director at Navigant Consulting believes that photovoltaic prices are still too high to achieve grid parity without incentives. However, he says that with new, sustainable, markets, the need for incentives is being reduced, meaning it could be as little as five years before grid parity without incentives is reached.

Shishir Basant, an independent consultant working in the Indian Solar industry, discusses the new Madhya Pradesh solar policy which, unlike other Indian policies, does not contain geographical limits.

Henning Wicht, director and principal analyst for photovoltaics at IHS iSuppli looks at why there are discrepancies between the analysts’ 2011 photovoltaic inverter shipment figures.