Magazine Archive 01-2017

Interview: 2016 was a tough year for some solar companies, but for JinkoSolar it was a 12 months marked by a continuation of growth that saw the Tier 1 company crowned the world’s leading module manufacturer. CEO Kangping Chen explains to pv magazine what drives the company, and reveals his thoughts on the year that lies ahead.

Thin film: The latest wave of crystalline silicon price reductions will undoubtedly create major challenges for the remaining thin film producers to navigate. Nonetheless, Avancis’ technology may be heading towards GW of capacity in China, through its new owners CNBM. With the building materials giant in the background, Franz Karg believes the BIPV market is about to be cracked.

There runs a persistent and slightly pernicious line of thought that would place 2016 as one of the worst years in human history. Sure, the near-incessant stream of depressing news stories appeared to arrive at a fair clip last year, but taking a broader view, 2016 was a continuation of certain positive trends that we […]

Bifacial modules: The release of bifacial modules in 2016 by major players including LG and SolarWorld indicate that the technology is picking up steam, but barriers must still be overcome.

Though the US period romantically termed the Wild Wild West took place over a few years in the mid-1870s, lore and its unique mix of wildness, ambition and determination offer a good analogy for the US solar industry. Look at it this way, in the 1870s pioneers, cowboys, politicians and others set forth across the continent to establish better lives. They came in search of gold and land. They came prepared and unprepared. Primarily they came with hope.

Turnkey production equipment: Solar manufacturers and project developers have long been praised for having achieved startling and impressive cost reductions. The role of production equipment suppliers may have been undersung, according to Mondragon Assembly’s Solar Business Director Iñaki Legarda-Ereño, who argues that the window for turnkey equipment suppliers remains open.

Utility-scale update: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) always seems to linger longingly in solar industry conversations, as the region of the world with the most untapped pv potential. Analaysts have long predicted that once solar finally drops here, it’s going to drop big. 2016 was a big year for solar in the MENA region, probably the best yet, leading to increased hope that it could stand up as the torchbearer amongst oil-rich regions for the deployment of solar energy.

Zayed Future Energy Prize: Since it was first awarded in 2008, the Zayed Future Energy Prize has quickly grown to become a leading prize for companies in the cleantech world. This year’s prize, to be awarded in January 2017, consists of a total fund of $4 million. Managed by Abu Dhabi renewables specialist Masdar, the fund will be distributed across several different categories.

Solar in Jordan: Jordan’s pv market has grown at a stunning rate to become a leading force for solar PV development in the Middle East region. pv magazine examines what the country’s solar PV sector can expect in the new year and beyond.