Scrutinizing processes
Interview: Stefan Spork, General Manager of Mounting Systems, based in Rangsdorf, Germany, talks about the challenges of internationalization for a medium-sized company.
Reconfiguring the market
Greece: Since new, lower feed-in tariffs came into effect on March 11, the Greek PV market is facing a slowdown. The new measures the Greek Energy Ministry introduced last August have been met with mixed reactions and diametrically opposite opinions.
Rapid fall in prices
US system prices: GTM Research presents the latest data on US PV system pricing.
Let robots do the job
Tracking systems: QBotix robots glide along a monorail connecting an array of PV panels and aligning them with the suns position every 40 minutes. This way, two robots can replace two hundred pairs of traditional tracker system motors.
What drives the market?
Interview: Where does SMA stand in terms of internationalization? What are the success factors and challenges? Pierre-Pascal Urbon, CEO of inverter manufacturer SMA, in an exclusive interview with pv magazine.
Investment Guide: Chile
South America: Chile is one of the most attractive countries worldwide in terms of solar resources, with more than 2,000 kWh/m2 per year in areas such as the Atacama Desert. This potential has not passed unnoticed by international PV players, who have focused their attention on this Latin American market in recent years. Although the PV market is still undeveloped in Chile with less than 5 MW in operation, there is currently an administrative boom with more than 2 GW of PV commissioned.
Implementing storage solutions
Energy storage: The German Energy Storage Association (BVES) held its first meeting of members. Eicke Weber, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and the organizations first president, explains the goals.
Hanergy: Questions remain
Thin film: Chinese renewable energy company Hanergy has caught the attention of sections of the PV market with its ambitious manufacturing plans and acquisitions of CIGS firms Solibro and MiaSolé. But questions are arising as to the companys business model and strategy. Shyam Mehta, Senior Analyst with GTM Research, provides some insight.
Grid mobilization
China: Large-scale solar and wind farms in China have been plagued by a lack of sufficient grid infrastructure to tap these renewable energy sources. Various conferences during the Solarcon China 2013 week in Shanghai provided detailed information on the interplay between Chinas electricity grid and PV power plants.
Global FIT overview
Feed-in tariffs: Japans slight reductions came into effect, but they will not slow the boom. Ontario is conducting a price review on its very generous FITs. And Queensland, Australia, has slashed its incentive scheme.
