Hot summer for high efficiency in Europe
European module market: Hot-selling solar components in Europe in 2017 come in the form of high-efficiency products. Competition between providers of 300 W+ is particularly fierce, finds Corrine Lin of pv magazine’s Insight and Investigations team.
Emerging fix for LID in multi PERC
Cell technology: PERC is nothing new, but a full understanding of the defects behind the “nasty” light-induced degradation in multicrystalline cells is. Researchers from the University of New South Wales claim to have made significant progress in both identifying, testing for, and mitigating these defects, in a development that may turn the multi versus mono competitive dynamic once more on its head.
Quantifying Risk: CEA introduces benchmarking
Quality assurance: Having been involved in assuring quality with over 16 GW of PV installations, Clean Energy Associates is putting its experience to good use. Its new Supplier Benchmarking Program brings together its proprietary data set with an analytical methodology, delivering a tool to judge the ability of PV module suppliers’ ability to deliver on promises of durability and reliability. Director of Technology and Quality George Touloupas sets out the program.
Pinpointing when a microcrack was caused
Fault detection: With a portable device, researchers at the Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH) in Hameln analyze modules in the field for microcracks. In contrast to the electroluminescence method, the new technique can determine the age of the damage following a hailstorm.
A matter of scale
Inverter selection: When it comes to selecting inverters for large-scale solar projects, EPCs are increasingly putting the next generation of string inverter solutions through their paces. But although the uptake of string-at-scale has been noteworthy, so too has the pushback from the central inverter sector.
Top dog no longer
Stock analysts often perceive a shiny new corporate HQ as auguring poorly for a company’s future. Overexuberance on the back of one or more years of strong performance can lead to overspend, overreach, and trouble down the road if market conditions sour. The same can be said of parties during trade shows. Many who have […]
Revamping Italian PV
Italy regulations: As one of PV’s pioneers, Italy dove headfirst into murky solar waters without any points of reference and often under strict installation deadlines. Coupled with first generation PV components, it is hardly surprising that vast portions of the nation’s installed solar capacity are less than optimum. Now, though, the authorities have introduced clear regulations designed to enable a total PV revamp.
They will come … if you build it
Indian infrastructure: India’s thriving solar segment grew 76% in 2016, beginning this year with almost 12 GW of capacity installed as the nation hurtles towards a 100 GW solar target by 2022. However, by doubling its solar park capacity goal to 40 GW earlier this year, has the government’s bold ambition for ground-mounted solar overlooked the difficult realities on the ground?
“It would have to be a brave buyer in today’s market”
SolarWorld: The insolvency of SolarWorld AG last month came as no surprise, but it has raised questions about solar cell and module manufacturing in the more developed economies within Europe and the U.S. Jenny Chase, who heads up solar analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance believes the impact of the pioneering solar company both on solar trade and manufacturing globally will be minimal.
Stored potential
Solar + storage in Austria: The PV market in the alpine republic is very stable. Stable demand is a key prerequisite for the installation of domestic storage systems, which are not yet profitable in this market segment in Austria. Nonetheless, experts see enormous potential.
