Plating up
A reduction of silver consumption in PV production is required on the way to terawatt scale. Given this, the time may have come for the commercialization of new copper plating technologies – doing away with the need for silver in cell metallization altogether. However, the history of plating technology is littered with cautionary tales.
Certify and verify for sustainability
Environmental credentials are becoming important for PV modules, putting the spotlight on the ways in which sustainability claims can be verified, qualified and trusted. Solar can’t continue to rely on zero emissions during generation as its only green tick, but the certification and labeling of PV modules is improving, as is the outlook for higher standards, reports Tristan Rayner.
pv magazine test, October 2022 results
We are pleased to present the October 2022 batch of energy yield results from the outdoor test field in Xi’an, China, with additional analysis from George Touloupas, senior director of technology and quality at CEA.
The fight for energy justice
Renewable energy in the form of community and rooftop solar can bring relief to people who are disproportionately affected by climate change, pollution, and rising energy prices. Many groups are working hard to open up access to solar and the recently passed US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has a plan, backed by generous funding, reports pv magazine USA senior editor Anne Fischer.
Regulator could prove solar’s NEMesis
The latest attempt by the California Public Utilities Commission, the US state’s regulator, to update net-metering rules seems to be again solely motivated by the desire to kill off rooftop PV, as energy economist Ahmad Faruqui reports.
Poland and the price cap
While it was energy auctions in 2016 that kick-started Poland’s solar sector, many developers have since moved outside the support scheme thanks to rising energy prices. Piotr Mrowiec, associate partner at Rödl & Partner, examines how the EU’s new cap on renewable energy revenue will affect the attractiveness of large scale clean energy projects in the country.
Final thought: Environment permitting
By Robin Laine, CEO of US-based permitting company Transect.
