Solar America – 06-2010
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Excerpt from the magazine
Fit for the Roof
Thin film market overview: In the following table, over forty manufacturers list the technical data of more than 250 modules. Manufacturers have focused their attention on large-scale projects in recent years. In the meantime, several of them have discovered the small roof as a lucrative market.
Sep 06, 2010
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Shanghai gets going
PV SNEC: With approximately 1,200 exhibitors, the Fourth International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference & Exhibition (SNEC PV 2010) set a new record for Asian solar tradeshows. In addition to Chinese and Asian manufacturers of photovoltaics, international equipment suppliers were the main groups presenting themselves in Shanghai.
Sep 06, 2010
To the New World
Made in North America. Sparked by new solar policies in the United States and Canada, manufacturing activity is booming in North America. Solar companies are announcing new factory plans by the dozens as they seek footholds in a market which has long held the potential, but not the policies to reach industry-moving size. But will it ultimately make sense to manufacture in North America for the long term?
Sep 06, 2010
Tape and paste
Lightweight crystalline modules: Most modules are equipped with thick front glass in order to withstand mechanical loads. Solon presents a module with thinner glass and less weight, one suitable for numerous industrial roofs. The new module is fastened to the roof by adhesives instead of bolts.
Sep 06, 2010
Electricity in a snakeskin jacket
Building integration: Photovoltaics on stadium roofs is becoming a more familiar sight. If you want to see a megawatt-capacity photovoltaic array though, thats a genuine structural component of a newly built stadium and supplies all of its electricity, the first port of call is Taiwan.
Sep 06, 2010
Time for change
Dear readers, No mid-size firms that construct solar arrays or wind farms can sign insurance policies, set aside provisions for dismantling, etc. without a permit. Of course, there are no major risks, yet those ones that do are certainly well covered. In contrast, oil firms like BP are liable for ridiculously low sums when giant […]
Sep 06, 2010
Unseen quality
Module assembly: Generally, module manufacturers offer a 25-year performance guarantee with certificates and quality labels. But certificates and quality labels do not tell us much about the long-term stability of modules. In reality, tests under harsh conditions discover drastic differences in endurance. The modules are to be tested with the greatest care.
Sep 06, 2010
A French twist
Italy: This years Solarexpo trade exhibition in Verona, Italy, turned out to be an exchange of good news. The renewal of the Conto Energia the law governing feed-in tariffs for solar electricity in Italy will not be long in coming and will focus on two new aspects. Furthermore, the respective tariffs will remain attractive.
Sep 06, 2010
Breaking the glass cartel
Triple Green, part 6: The days of float glass are numbered. The expenditure involved in its production drives up the price of modules and consumes too much energy. Inexpensive rolled glass, specially developed for solar modules, promises substantial savings in terms of energy, weight and material.
Sep 06, 2010
Not your usual parking lot
Trackers: On the Amazon parking lot in Bad Hersfeld, Hesse, Germany, a dual-axis tracker system was built instead of the usual PV car port. A cool solution, but is it also economically feasible in an area where the cost-effectiveness of tracker systems hovers at zero, in a never-ending gamble with the weather? Investment alternatives and feed-in tariff options also have to be considered.
Sep 06, 2010
Kick-off for solar energy
South Africa: The Republic of South Africa promises excellent remuneration for large solar power arrays, but connection to the grid is subject to negotiation. Neither grid operators nor producers are required to buy the electricity. Because they prevent problems caused by power outages, off-grid systems still play the most important role in the country, but the South African PV market could really start picking up next year.
Sep 06, 2010
