Magazine Archive 11-2016

“Our aim is to have leading market share in two to three years.” It’s a bold statement, but not entirely surprising. Inverter supplier Huawei unveiled the ambition at the 2016 All Energy trade show in Melbourne, where the company launched in the Australian market. “We have a Huawei representative office with 5,000 staff and we […]

Glass-glass lamination: The undeniably promising module encapsulation technology is not without its challenges. As producers attempt to scale dual-glass module production, addressing questions of quality, throughput, and yield remain paramount.

Module price index: Prices down and installation numbers up – will we turn the corner?

European markets: Mature PV markets are steady, reliable, and straightforward to forecast. Until they’re not, that is. Within what could be called greater Europe are some little examined markets on which it’s worth casting a light. And while it’s not all good news, there are some unexpected bright spots both rebounding, and emerging afresh.

U.S. manufacturing: In the most recent election, Populist candidates issued thinly veiled calls to return to an America that makes tangible goods. But can solar be part of a manufacturing renaissance in the United States? And what would be needed to make solar in America?

Hanwha Q CELLS South Korea production facility: Adding gigawatt-scale cell capacity in a time of global market oversupply could be considered inopportune, but is investment in high-tech, high-efficiency PERC cell technology ever something to shy away from? pv magazine went along to Hanwha Q CELLS’ new cell production facility in Jincheon, South Korea, to ask such a question.

Grid Parity Monitor: PV utility-scale systems continue their track to generation parity, but must compete with increasingly lower wholesale electricity prices. The third edition of the Grid Parity Monitor (GPM) series, shortly to be released by Creara, focuses exclusively on the utility-scale segment and PV competitiveness within wholesale electricity markets.

Indian manufacturing: Perhaps the most dynamic solar market this year, the Indian PV sector could experience growing pains if steps are not taken soon to stem the country’s overreliance on cheap components – predominately sourced from China. But as with any teenage phase, the road towards independence and self-reliance is not always straightforward, as pv magazine discovers.

Operations strategy: Data is big business for solar these days, with operators recording everything from tracker movements to the weather. But acquiring data is only half of the story: How can you be sure to turn it into meaningful results? Tor Blackstad, CEO at GreenPowerMonitor sheds some light on what can be achieved with effective data management.

Weather monitoring: The impact of weather on solar power arrays can be substantial, once the effects of clouds, dust, pollution, wind, humidity, rain, snow, and hail are added together. As the solar industry matures, more attention is being paid to monitoring such weather factors, for use in both performance analytics and in maintenance assessments.