Skip to content

Magazine Archive 05-2019

We’re back!

The life of an expat is often a case of being neither one thing, nor the other. For me personally, I’m left being perceived Aussie through-and-through when home in Berlin, and oh-so-German when back spending time with family and friends in Perth, Australia. It brings with it certain benefits and in terms of work, 2019 […]

Residential drive

Solar stocks outperformed the broader market in April. Month-to-date, the Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) increased 6.7% versus the S&P 500 and Dow that gained 2.5% and 1.8% respectively.

Fridays forever

Since the last reduction in the German feed-in tariff for medium-sized PV systems at the beginning of April, not much has changed in terms of module prices. This is down to unchanged demand in the country – at least in the first days of April. What is more, any local lags in the market are outweighed by steadily rising demand throughout Europe.

Bifacial module demand continues to grow

Module technologies such as bifacial, half-cut, multi-busbar (MBB), and shingled are maturing after two years of improvement. Comparing module technologies, we see that half cut has a high degree of maturity in production equipment, high yield rates, and output climbing since the beginning of 2018. From late 2018 to 2019, most companies have expanded or upgraded their portfolios by pairing half-cut technology with MBB technology.

Europe makes its comeback

Europe saw the largest upswing of new PV installations over the past year, in particular after the minimum import price on modules ended. Installations grew by 23% in 2018, reaching 12 GW. IHS Markit forecasts the region to surpass 19 GW in 2019. The reason for this revived growth, writes Research & Analysis Manager Josefin Berg, is a combination of the increased cost competitiveness of PV, more initiatives outside of subsidy schemes, and new policy initiatives to meet 2020 and 2030 targets.

Get out and vote!

As the European elections approach, it will be vital to have MEPs that are committed to solar and help ensure that the lowest cost and most flexible clean energy technology is the leading contributor to the EU’s 2050 climate strategy, writes Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe.

100 GW: PV in its teens

With almost 100 GW commissioned in 2018 (the same level as in 2017), the PV market was stable at a global level, writes Becquerel Institute’s Gaëtan Masson. This hides different market developments, as for example the decline of the Chinese PV market from 53 to 45 GW, and growth in other markets. The global market, exempting China, grew from 41 GW in 2016 to 46 GW in 2017, a rather big jump as it reached close to 55 GW in 2018.

pv magazine @ The smarter E Europe

It remains Europe’s biggest solar and energy storage event, and with a resurgent market, The smarter E in 2019 is shaping to be no different. Accordingly, pv magazine is rolling out a full program of events and launches, and of course is inviting you to party with us.

Unstoppable power

This year, pv magazine is setting a new editorial agenda. Via our program, UP, we will be diving deep into the topic of what it means to be truly sustainable, looking at what is already being done, and discussing areas for improvement. Over the coming weeks, months, and years, we will share our findings across our various digital platforms, in our print magazines, and via our roundtable events and webinars. Are you UP for it?

Reinventing solar

As one of the founders of Germany’s Green Party, as well as the cofounder of Greenpeace’s chemistry division, and the visionary behind the cradle to cradle (C2C) concept, Michael Braungart is a true pioneer. In a conversation with pv magazine, he lays out his vision for the future of solar – an industry he says is one of the keys to our future. It includes innovative module designs and new business models.

This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy.

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close