A reaction to Rystad’s recent estimates on European solar module stockpile
Rystad Energy has abruptly changed statements about photovoltaic module stocks in the EU. German PV analyst Karl-Heinz Remmers questions the numbers from the Norwegian consultancy and provides different figures.
Solar cell prices are expected to hit fresh record lows following China’s Golden Week
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Solar records tumble across Central Europe in September
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Germany and Central Europe saw their highest September irradiances in at least 17 years, due to an ‘Omega block’ weather pattern, which kept high pressure stuck over Central Europe, leading to consistently clear skies there, but pushed cloud and storms southward.
A survival guide for solar SMEs
As solar manufacturing moves toward technological convergence, and rampant production capacity expansion continues, standing out from the crowd is just one of the strategies small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will have to use to survive, according to InfoLink’s Amy Fang.
Higher demand, lower wind energy prices boost European electricity market prices
In the last week of September, European electricity market prices rose from the previous week. For a majority of prices the weekly average was above €100/MWh and, in several markets, some hourly prices were above €200/MWh. The rise in gas prices, the decrease in wind energy production and higher demand favored this behavior. Brent futures continued to rise, reaching their highest level since November 2022 on September 27.
The race for 100% solar
With utility scale solar installations accelerating, Philip Wolfe, founder of PV data consultancy Wiki-Solar, drills into the data to highlight some interesting variations in relative progress around the world.
October 14 eclipse to cost US states up to 17% of daily solar generation
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that North and South America are set to experience an annular eclipse on October 14, which means that some regions could lose a significant portion of their daily solar energy production. The path of the eclipse tracks across the southwestern United States, from Oregon to Texas, before continuing through Mexico, Central America and ending in Brazil, though impacts will be seen across all of the contiguous US and the top of South America.
While solar is thriving, European manufacturers are concerned they won’t be able to survive without protective measures
The current module oversupply market dynamic has coincided with efforts to bolster manufacturing outside of China by national governments and manufacturers alike. pv magazine consultant and contributor Götz Fischbeck was a part of discussions regarding made-in-Europe production, to find that protectionist measures are being called for by some.
Solar wafer prices fall for first time in 3 months
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Higher wind production pushes down prices in European electricity markets
In the third week of September, European electricity markets prices fell compared to the previous week. The decline was due to lower demand and a significant increase in wind energy production in several markets, which offset increasing gas and CO2 prices. On September 25, TTF gas futures reached their highest level since early April and on September 18, Brent reached its highest settlement price since November 2022.
