Magazine Archive 01-2015

NYSE Bloomberg Solar Energy Index: The index trends down as investors ponder headwinds. Lackluster 3Q14 results, China 2014 volumes weaker than expected.

Battery storage: There is considerable activity in the battery storage sector from established companies and startups alike. Tesvolt is the latest startup to enter the space, offering a 100 kWh to 1 MWh storage solution, with a retail price starting at €330/kWh ($393/kWh). The primary market Tesvolt is seeking to address is to supply backup power and pv magazine visited its first major installation, literally at the edge of one grid, to find out more.

ARC glass: Incremental improvement in materials can have a major impact on overall module efficiencies and therefore cost per watt. Anti-reflective coating certainly fits that description and is fast becoming ubiquitous in PV glass manufacturing. Technological variations exist in terms of ARC material and application and the key metric, it seems, to this particular ARC lever is proving durability in a range of conditions.

Module-level disruption: Power electronics at the module level are a growing part of the energy management system, offering immense potential in data monitoring that can push LCOE into the hands of the consumer. pv magazine explores some of the technologies that are set to shake up the residential solar sector in the near future.

Solar in the Gulf region: The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority procured the world’s cheapest solar energy ever in a call for tenders last November. Moritz Borgmann, Partner at Apricum, a Berlin-based advisory firm specialized in renewable energy technologies, analyzes the results of the 100 MW solar PV tender and gives his view on the wider implications for the region.