The Land of the Rising Sun – 02-2014
Already a subscriber?
Login
Excerpt from the magazine
Hanwha module evaluated as ‘good’
PV+Test 2.0: The Hanwha module that had to overcome the new, more stringent PV+Test test criteria scored well when it came to PID resistance, the warranty terms and conditions and documentation. There were two weak points that the manufacturer has already responded to.
Feb 11, 2014
Subscribe now for instant access to this issue and every published issue since 2016.
Subscribe
Offloading the grid
Battery storage: 2013 saw the emergence of a number of battery storage solutions on to the PV market. Inverters are also being produced that are battery ready. These battery systems can offer households the opportunity to utilize more of the PV electricity produced on their roof. And new research is showing how batteries can also support electricity grids at the same time.
Feb 10, 2014
Policy review
Japan: The Basic Policy Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has compiled and released a draft of a new energy policy. Reflecting these Opinions on the new Basic Energy Plan, the government plans to approve a new Basic Energy Plan in a Cabinet meeting. A report by Izumi Kaizuka of RTS Corporation.
Feb 10, 2014
Utilizing full planning potential
PVplanet: PVplanet, the PV Plant Engineering Toolbox, realizes a new, software-based planning concept for large-scale ground-mounted photovoltaic power plants, developed by Siemens AG in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics. Layout planners not associated with Siemens AG can also profit from this software as Siemens offers a technical consulting service and applies this planning tool to optimize the economic efficiency of their customers plant layouts, write Siemens Martin Bischoff and Marcus König.
Feb 10, 2014
From the boom to beyond
Japan: A booming PV market can create opportunities for manufacturers, particularly if they are local. But it can also cause complacency when it comes to aggressive cost reductions. Solar Frontier is clearly benefiting from the boom in Japan, surprising some by rivaling more established domestic producers to become the countrys third-largest supplier in 2013, according to IHS figures. Long-term success will require the company to retain its focus on cost and road map execution and correctly judge the timing of its move into emerging markets.
Feb 10, 2014
Mexicos energy law reform
Mexico: The output of Mexican oil and gas facilities is in decline, new crude oil deposits cannot be explored because of outdated technology, and electricity prices for the industry are 25 40% higher than in the United States, the countrys key trading partner. With this backdrop, a reform of the energy sector was inevitable, according to Sebastian Brenner and Mariangela Zerpa Dreyer of Rödl & Partner, an integrated firm for audit, legal, management and tax consulting.
Feb 10, 2014
Cell-by-cell inspection of MW power plants
Thermography: Many power losses and failure risks in megawatt power plants continue to be undetected, despite modern monitoring systems and professional operations management. Thomas Reich and Bernhard Weinreich of Solarschmiede GmbH explain how adjusted thermography is able to prevent these losses and residual risks at reasonable costs.
Feb 10, 2014
Champions League
Dear readers, Can Japan hold on to second place in the global photovoltaics Champions League this year? There is plenty that suggests so: Analysts expect, much like 2013, a PV expansion of around 7 GW for 2014. Nevertheless, it will be fascinating to monitor how things pan out for PV in the Land of the […]
Feb 10, 2014
French connections
France: Of the four key Western European PV markets continuing to deliver significant demand, France remains vital. However, with grid parity still some years away in the nuclear dominated country, developing PV projects in France still relies heavily on government support programs, and these can be both complicated and challenging.
Feb 10, 2014
Bright new dawn for UK solar
UK: As new figures reveal that half a million FIT-driven solar schemes are now installed in the UK, encouraging news is emerging that suggests Britons appetite for solar in 2014 from rooftop installed through to government incentivized promises to be stronger than ever.
Feb 10, 2014
Panasonics smart green city
Smart city: On one of its former factory sites southwest of Toyko, Panasonic is taking the lead in a project to build a smart and sustainable city. The Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town is designed to be home for approximately 34,000 people in a community equipped with integrated information and energy technologies. The aim is to deliver a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions and provide natural disaster resilience, with PV, lithium-ion batteries and smart home energy management systems at its core.
Feb 10, 2014
The energy world of tomorrow
Self-consumption: Scientists are currently carrying out research into the use of efficient storage systems on the North Sea island of Pellworm as part of a project entitled Smart Region Pellworm. A report by Frank Beermann, Managing Director of Gildemeister energy solutions.
Feb 10, 2014
