Markets

For the first time in three years, small communities in the Tsumkwe municipality of northern Namibia can enjoy around-the-clock power after the installation of one of Africda’s largest off-grid photovoltaic systems.

Accepting his award from SolarWorld’s Frank Asbeck at last night’s Einstein Award ceremony in Hamburg, Germany, Bertrand Piccard compared the fight for integrating clean tech into mainstream energy usage with that of persuading people the world was round.

Thirty-year-old Paul Gundel, who has developed new microscopic measuring methods for the characterization of silicon and solar cells, has been presented with the SolarWorld Junior Einstein Award.

An analysis of major European electricity markets by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association has revealed that electricity produced by photovoltaics will be competitive with conventional sources by 2020. The report, released today, also adds that some market segments will see this occur by as early as 2013.

An analysis of major European electricity markets by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association has revealed that electricity produced by photovoltaics will be competitive with conventional sources by 2020. The report, released today, also adds that some market segments will see this occur by as early as 2013.

The quarterly America-China renewable market review, produced by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), has found residential photovoltaic lease schemes driving renewable growth in the U.S.

Accelerated consolidation and increased competition among photovoltaic producers are two key themes set to characterize 2012’s solar industry. Meanwhile, the “easy phase” of making money is said to be over.

With plenty of sun and not much liquidity, Greece has been forced to be creative as to how to get its economy going and create jobs. One plan to do so has become clear at the European photovoltaic conference in Hamburg today, in the form of “Project Helios”.

High-tech engineering firm Manz believes it has achieved world-record aperture efficiency in one its Copper-Indium-Gallium-(di)Selenide (CIGS) thin-film modules, produced using commercial-scale production techniques. The 600x1200mm module achieved efficiency of 15.1 percent and has an output of 100 watts.

New solar technology like concentrated solar power (CSP) and the opening of new markets are tipped to become a strong growth engine for solar moving forward, according to a new report looking at how the industry will develop before 2016.