Articles written by Blake Matich

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Applications & Installations
Weekend Read: New turf for thin films Thin-film technologies have long promised to make a major impact on the solar industry but have largely been constrained to niche applications and research labs if they were not shredded by the market. After several false starts, current trade dynamics and promising research programs may help solar thin films find their place in the sun.
Blake Matich
Apr 29, 2023
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Applications & Installations
Weekend read: High time for solar Cannabis prohibition drove a culture of clandestine production in the past and solar helped growers to cultivate it at remote, off-grid sites. Now, as a global commercial cannabis market emerges, solar has an even bigger role to play.
Blake Matich
Apr 08, 2023
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High time for solar Cannabis prohibition drove a culture of clandestine production in the past and solar helped growers to cultivate it at remote, off-grid sites. Now, as a global commercial cannabis market emerges, solar has an even bigger role to play, reports Blake Matich.
Blake Matich
Apr 05, 2023
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New turf for thin films Thin-film technologies have long promised to make a major impact on the solar industry but have largely been constrained to niche applications and research labs if they were not shredded by the market. After several false starts, current trade dynamics and promising research programs may help solar thin films find their place in the sun, as Blake Matich reports.
Blake Matich
Apr 05, 2023
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Applications & Installations
Stella the Stargazer – the latest in a trend of luxury, solar-powered getaways On the back of Covid-19 lockdowns, geopolitical energy concerns, a cost-of-living crisis, and congested cities, some people are looking for alternate ways of living, while others are just looking for an cozy getaway that doesn’t come with a Sasquatch-sized carbon footprint. Enter Stella the Stargazer, a solar-powered holiday destination that makes off-grid living the lap of luxury.
Blake Matich
Mar 15, 2023
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Research & Development
Only5mins! – How a floating solar-powered artificial leaf generates synthetic fuels University of Cambridge researcher Dr Virgil Andrei sits down with pv magazine  to discuss an innovative ultra-thin film device capable of generating clean synthetic fuels while floating merrily on the River Cam. 
Blake Matich
Mar 09, 2023
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Applications & Installations
Only5mins! – Above and beyond United Kingdom-based Above’s founder and CEO Will Hitchcock sits down with pv magazine to discuss the solar industry’s growing demand for drone-based aerial inspection and data analysis, the game changing utility of digital twins, and what the future holds for autonomous drone programs. 
Blake Matich
Mar 07, 2023
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Applications & Installations
Weekend Read: Light weight When it comes to gravity batteries, pumped-hydro storage is the gold standard, but its cost and topography-specific limitations are driving innovations ranging from freight-train braking to super-dense liquids. We consider whether any of the new technologies can punch above their weight.
Blake Matich
Mar 04, 2023
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Applications & Installations
Only5mins! – Why 24/7 granularity needs to become the only game in town Olivier Corradi, the CEO of Electricity Maps, speaks to pv magazine about why 24/7 granular accounting of electricity is key to decarbonization and how the company tracks the carbon intensity of otherwise elusive electrons.
Blake Matich
Feb 23, 2023