Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

Luis-Carlos Miró Baz, a policy officer at the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) outlines the Sustainable Energy for ALL (SE4ALL) initiative – one of the aims of which is to double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix – and discusses how private photovoltaic companies can get involved.

A team of researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and research body SINTEF are exploring how algae can be used to create next-generation solar cells. Mathias Aare Maehlum, a Masters student in energy and environmental engineering at NTNU explains.

Rupert Higgin, managing director of U.K.-based The Green Electrician Group offers advice on how photovoltaic companies can protect their margins in a tough trading environment; and let customers know that they haven’t missed the boat when it comes to installing PV at home.

The major challenge of Germany’s energy transition is integrating the growing number of photovoltaic and wind energy plants into the existing grid. Grid integration requires a compulsory certificate of grid compatibility. The associated processes for unit and plant certification are complex and require a high level of expertise, writes Dieter Rosenwirth, TÜV SÜD Industrie Service.

With incentives drying up, and a market that has not yet hit grid parity, solar PV projects in the U.S. are stalling faster than ever. The dilemma facing the industry, writes Jonathan Jaffrey, founding member of Renewable Social Benefit Funds (RSB Funds), is finding innovative ways to restart and complete these stalled projects while continuing to forge ahead with new, future solar PV projects in the current financial landscape. To do so, the industry will be required to seek out more collaborative models that include new funding alternatives. Concurrently there must be a continued press for improved technology that can help lower capital costs even further.

The building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) market is projected to see considerable growth in the next four years. BIPV materials have the potential to contribute to zero energy buildings that function as auxiliary power plants, complementing the utility grid to help supply all or most of their own electrical needs, with excess energy sold back into the grid, writes Dyesol’s CEO, Marc Thomas.

The details of how much, how soon, and which particular energy resources will be emphasized vary from market to market. One of the clear, common themes across the global smart grid movement is increased integration of renewable energy sources. A transition is definitively under way, with governments around the world issuing aggressive mandates around renewables. Dick DeBlasio, chair of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 2030 Working Group discusses.