Magazine Archive 06 - 2023 | High time for a masterplan

RE+ Events and pv magazine hosted the first edition of Solar + Storage España on May 10 and 11. The event brought together thought leaders from the Spanish solar and energy storage industries to discuss key topics such as European funding, manufacturing support, project permitting, and repowering.

Ukrainians have endured Russia’s winter onslaught on their national energy infrastructure and are now turning to solar to become more resilient in the event that war is raging when the snows return. Parliament is helping, with plans for legislation to incentivize PV systems on homes, schools, clinics, and other infrastructure, as Ian Skarytovsky explains.

The first half of 2023 has seen a revival in Ukraine’s solar market as some plants resumed operations, including in recently liberated territories. Demand is also picking up among industrial consumers that wish to be less dependent on the common energy grid in case outages return, reports Ian Skarytovsky.

The funds flowing from the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could prompt solar installers to diversify their offerings to homeowners. The IRA may also lead to consolidation among solar equipment manufacturers, writes Jessica Fishman, a clean energy marketing professional.

Historic meteorological data is typically used to assess solar farm yield and secure project finance, but with climate change beginning to affect every aspect of society, past weather data may no longer be a reliable guide. Everoze Partner Nastasia Pacaut looks at how PV projects can be future-proofed in a changing climate.

Small-scale PV systems drove the installation of more than 200 GW of solar capacity last year and could support more than 300 GW this year. That means a reset for utilities, according to Rethink Technology Research founder Peter White.

Australia is set to electrify everything. Vibrant communities willing to trial the transition are the first in line to learn what to do and how to bring everyone along, reports pv magazine Australia’s Natalie Filatoff.

The volume and complexity of data generated by renewables sites is growing, as are the regulatory requirements regarding its collection and delivery. Thomas Andersen, VP of renewables for US-based engineer Emerson, explains how modern asset management systems can deliver better functionality and management to project operators and owners.

Juan Manuel Gómez García, chief executive of the TrinaTracker business unit for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), discusses the main drivers of demand and how the company is strategizing development for the near future, given its stellar growth in the solar tracker market segment.

Trust-PV is a four-year, EU-funded project featuring 21 solar value chain partners who aim to improve the performance of PV projects. French business Reuniwatt has published the ‘Forecasting for advanced operational stability’ study to improve stability at the point of grid connection. Marion Lafuma, business development manager for Reuniwatt, looks at its key findings.