The sun Down Under
Australia: The country has been split in its decisions with regards to feed-in tariffs and with unsteady implementations and policies. Some states in the continent are all for solar power and have gone ahead with their own policies while others are still reviewing their strategies. The solar sector has been swayed back and forth. As one of the most active providers of renewable and sustainable energy systems in the country, Austwide Solars Michael Rahme helps lay out the facts.
This is the solar decade!
CEO interview: A full service company, which offers a compete downstream package, Photon Energy has successfully placed itself in the European PV market. However, the company, based in the Czech Republic, has been affected by the introduction of the countrys retroactive solar tax. Here, CEO Michal Gärtner talks to pv magazine about the Czech market changes, the companys survival strategy and how it is eyeing up a number of new markets.
Time for new concepts
Laminators: Lamination is one of the most advanced processes in module manufacturing, but there is still room for new ideas and materials. A report on technology, functions and the development of laminators in the solar industry from Markus Steinkötter, founder and CEO of engineering firm Sunnyside upP.
A Bengali dream
Bangladesh: From barefoot PV to a new dream of bringing solar energy to millions of Bangladeshis: the dreams of one man to bring light to rural dwellers in the South Asian state. The efforts of domestic solar companies to take things further. The country is steadily on a mission to place itself on the global solar map and to bring hope of light to thousands living in remote darkness.
A solar philanthropist
Solar energy for Haiti: The founder of Biohaus, Willi Ernst, took the money he made from the sale of his company to Centrosolar, and set up a charitable foundation. Its first major project is the development of a solar training center for future roofers, electricians, and sanitary installation specialists in Haiti.
Big policy push
The U.S. solar market: After two years of investing billions of dollars into solar research and deployment, U.S. President Barack Obama is strategizing ways to gain political support for his goals of boosting solar energy generation and reducing its installation cost to one dollar per watt.
BIPV to AIPV
SERIS Interview: Under the wing of the National University of Singapore, SERIS (Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore) aims to develop materials, components, processes and systems for photovoltaic electricity generation and energy efficient buildings. Stephen Wittkopf, Cluster Director for Solar and Energy Efficient Buildings, spoke to pv magazine about his vision for building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).
Expanding the laser tool box
Lasers in PV production: Lasers have the potential to become vital tools for many processes in the production chain of crystalline solar cells. Malte Schulz-Ruhtenberg of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen, Germany, reports on research projects his institute is involved in and their results.
FIT capers and shaky confidence
UK: The UK had installed around ten megawatts of PV before the FIT was introduced last April 1. Since then, the country has made great inroads in terms of newly added capacity. Predictions are this could notably increase. But news of an early tariff review has attracted harsh criticism and left confidence shaky.
Gaining clarity
PV recycling: PV Cycle program updates from the 2nd International Conference on PV Module Recycling, which took place in January in Madrid.
