Rush hour
Urban transportation is key to modern civilization. It has enabled humans to travel long distances and is one of the building blocks of industry and leisure. But it has come at a cost. In the first quarter of 2022, pv magazine’s UP Initiative will focus on the rise of e-mobility. We will examine urban transportation and the role electric vehicles, trains, and two- and three-wheelers can play in greening the electricity grid. In addition to technological innovation, we will also investigate market projections, the policies and infrastructure required, and the role solar and storage will play in taking this nascent industry full throttle.
A limit to module size
There is a threshold at which big becomes too big when it comes to PV module sizes, argues Hongbin Fang, the director of product marketing at Longi Solar. Fang recently said at pv magazine’s Roundtables USA event that despite size limits, there is still a lot of efficiency and cost-reduction potential to come.
Rely on India
India’s Reliance Industries sees the response to climate change as a huge opportunity to create value through a new energy and materials business. The company aims to set up a fully integrated, end-to-end renewable energy ecosystem.
Finding faults faster
PV cell and module manufacturers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to monitor production lines and the products coming off them in minute detail. As inline monitoring and testing equipment become more sophisticated, cell and module makers must be prepared to manage the enormous amounts of data and pull out the points that will save them time and money. pv magazine examines the software solutions backing state-of-the-art PV production.
All eyes upstream
The United States faces a number of compelling issues in its push to expand solar. Clean Energy Associates CEO Andy Klump recently spoke to pv magazine about supply chains, domestic manufacturing, climate change, and COP.
pv magazine test: October 2021 results
As detailed in the October edition, the pv magazine test rooftop PV installation was reconfigured to ensure more accurate tracking of the high-power, high-current modules using microinverters. George Touloupas, senior director of technology and quality at CEA, discusses additional modifications to accommodate high currents on the rooftop, and presents the first results from the newly configured array.
Making cheaper H2
The hype surrounding green hydrogen is real, but does the cost-reduction outlook for its production technologies live up to it? Christian Roselund looks at the technology, transportation, application and enabling policies behind the promising green energy carrier.
A new entrant to the energy sector
Green hydrogen can play a vital role in decarbonizing the economy and enabling countries to reach net-zero emissions. The economics of producing green hydrogen from electrolysis are maturing as developers scramble to meet expected future demand. Everoze partner Nicolas Chouleur and Neoen hydrogen expert Sacha Lepoutre discuss a case study that shows how stacking different revenue streams could improve the economics of renewable energy projects.
24/7 heaven
It’s what Google calls its “biggest sustainability moonshot yet” – 24/7 hourly matching – a new granular phase of renewable energy sourcing. The pursuit of 24/7 moves beyond buying enough renewable energy to match annual consumption, to matching consumption every hour of every day. Some say 24/7 matching could push up the price of renewables, but others say 24/7 is the only way to drive home decarbonization, minimize greenwashing, and create a truly net-zero energy system.
State aid for EU solar
The European Commission’s revision of the General Block Exemption Regulation bodes well for the solar industry. The plan will allow EU member states to grant subsidies to renewables projects without first seeking approval from Brussels. Andreas Walstad reports that hydrogen projects appear to be the big winner, but notes that solar manufacturing may also benefit from the changes.
