Europe’s solar reshuffle – 11-2014
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Solar ripens in Central America
Central America: While often overlooked in favor of Chile, Mexico and Brazil, Central Americas solar markets are growing rapidly. Like the rest of Latin America the region has its own set of challenges and complications, but strong market drivers ensure a bright future.
Oct 26, 2014
Moving on O&M
First Solar/skytron: At Intersolar Europe, First Solar announced that it was to acquire Germanys monitoring platform and service provider skytron energy. Almost immediately questions were raised as to how skytron will operate as a service provider to third parties outside of the First Solar family. Skytron energys managing director Stefan Degener says that, on the contrary, skytron can now leverage First Solars strength and knowledge to grow.
Oct 26, 2014
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Its just a question of time
Interview: In his new book, The Economic Competitiveness of Renewable Energy, Winfried Hoffmann, former president of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), provides a unique economic and industrial point of view about the current state of global energy, the increasing impact of solar and the impending paradigm shift that photovoltaics has triggered.
Oct 26, 2014
Solar in the EU: constant flux
From his adoptive home in the U.K., American author Bill Bryson made the observation that Europeans are particularly good at living up to their stereotypes. To illustrate, in his book Neither Here Nor There, he published the following joke: “If Europe was in heaven then the French would be the cooks, the British the police, […]
Oct 26, 2014
Equipped for the long game
CEO interview: Clean energy manufacturing group Meyer Burger has generated a few solar headlines in recent weeks as the company stabilizes following an industry-wide downturn. pv magazine caught up with CEO Peter Pauli to discuss current market challenges, Meyer Burgers strategy for growth and its technological developments.
Oct 26, 2014
Finding the money to finance distributed solar
India: Distributed solar has great potential to rapidly alleviate electricity shortages and strengthen the resilience of power generation in India. However, this would require a great deal of funding. A range of new financing models has emerged in recent years which could play a major role in expanding distributed solar in India. David Fullbrook of DNV GL identifies several new financing models, which, given the policy context, could have a big impact.
Oct 26, 2014
Between a ROC and a hard place
UK market update: April sees large-scale UK solar shut out from the Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) scheme a program that has helped push PV beyond 5 GW of installed capacity this year. How will the incoming Contracts for Difference (CfD) program fare, and are residential and commercial ready to take up the slack?
Oct 26, 2014
Bi-facial to mainstream
Equipment supply: Although times are undoubtedly tough for PV equipment vendors, a range of next-generation technology is making its way on to the market. Bi-facial cell and module technology is a part of this, with equipment supplier Schmid saying that line upgrades could see cost-effective bi-facial production on multicrystalline lines currently in production.
Oct 26, 2014
More flexibility
CEO Interview: China Sunergy (CSUN) is one of the Chinese module manufacturers that diversified module production geographically and set up a production facility abroad. What were the main reasons for choosing Turkey as a manufacturing location? What were the benefits and the lessons learned? pv magazine spoke with CSUNs CEO Lu Tingxiu.
Oct 26, 2014
EU PVSEC 2014: Crystalline efficiency in focus
EU PVSEC: Amsterdam played host to Europes leading scientific conference for PV technologies in 2014. The accompanying trade show was a minnow compared to those of years past, however a range of technologies designed to push c-Si cell and module efficiencies north were on display.
Oct 26, 2014
A transformative tipping point
Ranking inverter suppliers: The shifting sands of the global inverter landscape have shuffled the pack a little, but with SMA a familiar face at the top of the tree albeit with a drastically diminished global market share just how tumultuous has 2014 been for the worlds leading inverter suppliers?
Oct 26, 2014
Hollands tortoise to Germanys hare
Dutch PV market: boom and bust is a phrase that is heard all too often in relation to PV markets. By contrast, solar in the Netherlands has been quietly building and now appears to be on the pathway to strong, if not world-beating annual PV capacity numbers.
Oct 26, 2014
Looking ahead
German Renewable Energy Act: The amendment of the German Renewable Energy Act has been much criticized. The introduction of an EEG surcharge on the self-consumption of solar energy was the biggest cause for concern for the German solar industry. But conditions for photovoltaics in Germany have not deteriorated as much as the bad mood may suggest. Investments continue to pay off in various sectors.
Oct 26, 2014
One in a million
Californian solar: New rooftop solar permitting guidelines may hasten Californias one million solar rooftops goal the aim of the aptly titled Million Solar Roofs initiative. Brian Nese of Stoel Rives law firm dissects the states current latest round of legislation the AB 2188 and in doing so assesses what its immediate effects may be.
Oct 26, 2014
Protecting components from theft
PV security: new devices and approaches to PV power plant security are emerging, particularly in Europe as lessons are learnt from emerging PV markets. From module level to radar solutions, experts recommend that a security detail be tailored to each location, design and specification of a solar field.
Oct 26, 2014
Higher complexity, more consulting
Commercial rooftop PV in Germany: The recent amendment of the German Renewable Energy Act (EEG) includes an EEG levy on self-consumed solar power. Joachim Goldbeck, Björn Lamprecht, managing directors of the Goldbeck Solar GmbH, an EPC based in Hirschberg, Germany, say that it is nevertheless possible to achieve attractive rates of return.
Oct 26, 2014
An ultra-mega opportunity or a headache?
India: In September, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy published plans to develop large-scale and ultra-mega solar power parks totaling 20 GW of capacity over the next five years. The draft policy contains no domestic content requirement. So after the governments decision against antidumping duties on solar components imported from China, Taiwan, Malaysia and the US, Indias solar industry is wondering whether domestic content requirements will be incorporated into public tenders, or where the 20 GW worth of modules is going to come from.
Oct 26, 2014
Shared problems, fragmented interests
Retroactive FIT changes in Europe: Feed-in tariffs have been the cornerstone of promoting renewable energy in Europe. Recently, however, European governments have turned hostile towards them and some have cut tariffs for renewable energy projects retroactively. What are the latest developments, and what is realistically possible to expect regarding tariff subsidies in Europe?
Oct 26, 2014
The right to claim compensation
Spain: Sönke Schlaich of the international law firm Rödl & Partner reviews the retroactive reduction of feed-in tariffs in Spain and the guarantees protecting investor rights under the Energy Charter Treaty and comes to the conclusion that investors have a chance to seek indemnity.
Oct 26, 2014
