Magazine Archive 06-2017

Africa and the Middle East: Solar developers and suppliers have long been eyeing the sun-drenched countries south and south east of the Mediterranean. However, progress in both the distributed and utility-scale market segments has been slow. A number of developers are now making serious progress, through a combination of working under government tenders and in supplying solar solutions tailored for the end market. Martin Haupts founded the Dubai-based Phanes Group to play in both the DG and large-scale space, and he spoke to pv magazine about the challenges and opportunities.

Solarex Istanbul review: In April 2017, the 10th edition of Turkish photovoltaic trade fair Solarex took place at the fairgrounds in Istanbul, directly adjacent to Atatürk international airport on the outskirts of the megacity. With more than 200 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors, turnout was comparable to the previous year. Yet regular participants noted that the level of professionalism had significantly increased over the past two years.

Global markets: The 2017 BNEF Future of Energy Summit featured fact-free presentations from the Trump administration, but the real story is the ongoing price declines and accelerated deployment of clean energy and transportation.

Ex-Yu roundup: The history of the former Yugoslav countries is mired in political upheaval and war, and irreversibly shaped by the country’s dissolution in the 1990s. While Slovenia and Croatia have gone their own way in leading the charge towards solar deployment, a lack of funding and policy transparency coupled with bureaucratic inertia is limiting PV rollout.

Spanish PV policy: The complexity of Spain’s long awaited renewables auction, the only one like it in the world, and the lack of clarity when it comes to remuneration is drawing fire from the country’s cleantech sector.

pv magazine: Macron is now France’s new President. Is this good news for solar? Xavier Daval: What Macron said during his campaign, and what is on his website, seems a continuation of what Energy Minister Ségolène Royal did. However, the true direction doesn’t seem clear at all. Macron said he aims to double solar and […]

European markets: Self-consumption is a key model for European solar in 2017. C&I rooftops and the rise of the residential prosumer are driving the expected recovery, alongside large-scale tenders in Germany, France, Poland, and Turkey.

Hannover Messe: The time for solar and storage is now. The message from pv magazine’s Solar Premium partners at the 2017 Hannover Messe was simple but compelling, and it made for an irresistible proposition for attendees at the landmark event.

European solar: The landscape for European PV has never looked so barren. An industry largely created and financed – at least in the early stages – by EU member states is increasingly dominated by China, but smarter policies can bring back the dynamism and innovation that first helped European solar soar, believes Gäetan Masson, Director of the Becquerel Institute.

Solar supply and demand: The U.S. market for utility-scale and large commercial installations is booming, while the country’s residential application slows in the face of net metering headwinds and the potential of yet another tariff dispute.