On the right track – 11-2015
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Excerpt from the magazine
The keys to mono growth
Mono-Si: The sluggish growth of the mono-Si market this year is notable given the fact that many cell manufacturers had switched from multi-Si to mono-Si production in H2 2014. Statistical research conducted by EnergyTrend for the 2015 PV market finds that even though global demand has reached 53 GW, total mono-Si cell shipments worldwide may be lower than 10 GW. Cost is the deciding factor as is whether or not the mono-Si market can achieve higher growth in the future.
Oct 21, 2015
Storage hype in Oz
All Energy 2015: New federal government leadership has given fresh hope to the renewable and solar sector in Australia. This was reflected at the 2015 All Energy show, which bristled with energy and excitement and political VIPs. Energy storage was the center of the hype, but just which technology or supplier will rise to the top is anything but clear.
Oct 21, 2015
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PV market reversal: pro-mono?
China monocrystalline: Solar was birthed in mono, but the cost advantages brought by multicrystalline silicon saw it fall out of favor as the industry grew. But there are noticeable winds of change blowing through China right now, with monos numerous advantages becoming ever clearer as costs fall.
Oct 21, 2015
Forecast update: Chinas ghost kilowatts
Market revision: Anticipating future growth in the PV industry has never been an exact science, but as regional and market behavior ossifies, it has become easier to make relatively stable assumptions on how certain markets will perform over the next few years. Paula Mints from SPV Market Research reports.
Oct 21, 2015
Solar trackers rise to global demand
Trackers: The global demand curve for solar trackers is heading straight up, very quickly. The tracker industry is moving at about 1,000 mph now, because trackers significantly enhance the financial value of PV solar as a generation asset, says Thomas Conroy, President of Array Technologies, the largest provider of trackers in the world.
Oct 21, 2015
Invisible solar Cloaking technology refracts light around metallization fingers Decreasing the width of PV metallization and interconnection fingers and busbars has long been exploited as an incremental pathway to higher cell and module efficiency. And German researchers now believe that light can be guided around the contacting structures, boosting efficiency. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute […]
Oct 21, 2015
Minimizing downtime is a main objective
CEO Interview: On the back of developing a data solution tailored for Europes largest PV power plant, Frances QOS CEO Franck Le Breton makes the case for a third-party solar data management system. Its the Internet of Things and PV together at last.
Oct 21, 2015
The right side of the cycle
It’s possible to own a piece of clothing or accessory for so long that it goes out of fashion, stays there some years, and then comes back into fashion: From faux pas to fashionista with the passing of time. I can personally, and rather depressingly, attest to this as fashions from my student days in […]
Oct 21, 2015
Adapt or die: Big changes in Taiwans solar industry
Taiwan post duties: Hit hard by U.S. duties, Taiwans solar industry has been forced to move beyond its well-established niche in PV cell manufacturing. The decision to internationalize production is also a big one. And the future is anything but clear.
Oct 21, 2015
Creating a marketplace for quality
Interview: EnergySage CEO Vikram Aggarwal describes how the solar marketplace can be a daunting environment for a first-time solar shopper, and explains to pv magazine how EnergySage constantly reminds itself to think like a consumer in order to ensure its service meets a whole range of needs.
Oct 21, 2015
More flexibility from the lamination system
Lamination technology: New materials and processes are coming into the lamination technology segment of PV production. With these come challenges for technology providers, but they also present major opportunities for increased throughput and reductions in energy consumption. Robert Gaiser is the Project Manager for Lamination with Germanys Bürkle, and he says flexibility of lamination tooling is also becoming important.
Oct 21, 2015
Sound foundations for PV in Andhra Pradesh
India: The Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Policy 2015 provides a number of incentives to support solar, while the first National Solar Mission bid under the Modi goverment was oversubscribed by more than 10 times. Both SMEs and multinationals have shown that they can submit commercially viable bids. Rödl & Partners Dharm Veer Singh Krishnawat sets out why he believes confidence is growing in Modis solar policies and why the goals of the new Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Policy are ambitious but achievable.
Oct 21, 2015
Self consumption in Southern Europe
Southern Europe: The remuneration policy for solar PV is changing rapidly in Europe, and small arrays are no exception. According to European guidelines, feed-in tariffs are still possible, but tight public budgets and a period of prolonged economic crisis have turned governments instead towards net metering and self-consumption schemes. However, can these schemes drive large numbers of new PV installations?
Oct 21, 2015
Leapfrog development model
Adding solar value: The world needs leaders eager to deploy greater volumes of solar not purely because of some environmental duty, but because the technology increasingly makes sense from an economic, performance and development perspective, writes Brad Meikle of Headwall Power International.
Oct 21, 2015
