10 Array Changing Technologies – 06-2017
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Home Power Solutions: total autonomy
Residential storage: A young company is launching a power plant that can make single and two-family homes truly self-sufficient with hydrogen storage. The kicker: It supplies electricity, heat, and controlled domestic ventilation all at one time; uses synergies; and is an integrated all-in-one device.
Jun 07, 2017
France’s island autonomy
French overseas tenders: On August 18, 2015, the Transition for Green Growth Law set the objective of achieving full energy autonomy in France’s island territories by 2030. But is the framework set up under the leadership of Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Ségolène Royal consistent with this objective? And will obstacles observed on the ground be overcome?
Jun 07, 2017
Solar’s full circle
PV prosumers: Technological and political change is always afoot in the solar industry, but in recent months a wider appetite to alter and expand the entire business model under which photovoltaics operates has emerged. Jon Slowe, Director at distributed energy consultancy firm Delta-ee, explains how the role of the PV prosumer is increasingly understood and embraced.
Jun 07, 2017
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More than just self-consumption
C&I storage: The commercial and industrial segment of the storage industry represents something of a middle ground between the known benefits of residential and large-scale storage. pv magazine looks at how this sector is shaping up, and which companies are most active in the space.
Jun 07, 2017
“The circular economy is possible”
Recycling: As PV module deployment continues to grow, so does the issue of end of life. Germany’s Loser Chemie has long worked on the recycling of thin film PV modules and has recently made major strides in applying chemical separation technology to the crystalline silicon (c-Si) space. The question is not how, but when large-scale recycling of PV modules will be reality, says Loser Chemie’s Wolfram Palitzsch.
Jun 07, 2017
Selecting manufacturers in a crowded field
Quality testing: Since 2014 PV Evolution Labs, a subsidiary of DNV GL, has been publishing its PV Module Reliability Scorecard. In 2017, some of the key findings are that the Bill of Materials matters more than ever, and that the location of the production facility can be crucial. Jenya Meydbray, PV Evolution Labs founder, provides his take on making quality count.
Jun 07, 2017
Hot summer for high efficiency in Europe
European module market: Hot-selling solar components in Europe in 2017 come in the form of high-efficiency products. Competition between providers of 300 W+ is particularly fierce, finds Corrine Lin of pv magazine’s Insight and Investigations team.
Jun 07, 2017
Emerging fix for LID in multi PERC
Cell technology: PERC is nothing new, but a full understanding of the defects behind the “nasty” light-induced degradation in multicrystalline cells is. Researchers from the University of New South Wales claim to have made significant progress in both identifying, testing for, and mitigating these defects, in a development that may turn the multi versus mono competitive dynamic once more on its head.
Jun 07, 2017
Quantifying Risk: CEA introduces benchmarking
Quality assurance: Having been involved in assuring quality with over 16 GW of PV installations, Clean Energy Associates is putting its experience to good use. Its new Supplier Benchmarking Program brings together its proprietary data set with an analytical methodology, delivering a tool to judge the ability of PV module suppliers’ ability to deliver on promises of durability and reliability. Director of Technology and Quality George Touloupas sets out the program.
Jun 07, 2017
Pinpointing when a microcrack was caused
Fault detection: With a portable device, researchers at the Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH) in Hameln analyze modules in the field for microcracks. In contrast to the electroluminescence method, the new technique can determine the age of the damage following a hailstorm.
Jun 07, 2017
A matter of scale
Inverter selection: When it comes to selecting inverters for large-scale solar projects, EPCs are increasingly putting the next generation of string inverter solutions through their paces. But although the uptake of string-at-scale has been noteworthy, so too has the pushback from the central inverter sector.
Jun 07, 2017
Module replacement as a last resort
Repowering: The German Renewable Energy Act (REA) places strict limits on exchanging solar modules to restore profitability to PV plants. Plant operators should contact the network operators in advance to preserve the old feed-in tariff and avoid having to pay back tariffs already received. Proving solar panels are defective can be very complicated.
Jun 07, 2017
Revamping Italian PV
Italy regulations: As one of PV’s pioneers, Italy dove headfirst into murky solar waters without any points of reference and often under strict installation deadlines. Coupled with first generation PV components, it is hardly surprising that vast portions of the nation’s installed solar capacity are less than optimum. Now, though, the authorities have introduced clear regulations designed to enable a total PV revamp.
Jun 07, 2017
They will come … if you build it
Indian infrastructure: India’s thriving solar segment grew 76% in 2016, beginning this year with almost 12 GW of capacity installed as the nation hurtles towards a 100 GW solar target by 2022. However, by doubling its solar park capacity goal to 40 GW earlier this year, has the government’s bold ambition for ground-mounted solar overlooked the difficult realities on the ground?
Jun 07, 2017
“It would have to be a brave buyer in today’s market”
SolarWorld: The insolvency of SolarWorld AG last month came as no surprise, but it has raised questions about solar cell and module manufacturing in the more developed economies within Europe and the U.S. Jenny Chase, who heads up solar analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance believes the impact of the pioneering solar company both on solar trade and manufacturing globally will be minimal.
Jun 07, 2017
Stored potential
Solar + storage in Austria: The PV market in the alpine republic is very stable. Stable demand is a key prerequisite for the installation of domestic storage systems, which are not yet profitable in this market segment in Austria. Nonetheless, experts see enormous potential.
Jun 07, 2017
“Solar is a competitive source in the energy mix”
Africa and the Middle East: Solar developers and suppliers have long been eyeing the sun-drenched countries south and south east of the Mediterranean. However, progress in both the distributed and utility-scale market segments has been slow. A number of developers are now making serious progress, through a combination of working under government tenders and in supplying solar solutions tailored for the end market. Martin Haupts founded the Dubai-based Phanes Group to play in both the DG and large-scale space, and he spoke to pv magazine about the challenges and opportunities.
Jun 07, 2017
Turkey’s push for domestic content
Solarex Istanbul review: In April 2017, the 10th edition of Turkish photovoltaic trade fair Solarex took place at the fairgrounds in Istanbul, directly adjacent to Atatürk international airport on the outskirts of the megacity. With more than 200 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors, turnout was comparable to the previous year. Yet regular participants noted that the level of professionalism had significantly increased over the past two years.
Jun 07, 2017
So close, no matter how far in former Yugoslavia
Ex-Yu roundup: The history of the former Yugoslav countries is mired in political upheaval and war, and irreversibly shaped by the country’s dissolution in the 1990s. While Slovenia and Croatia have gone their own way in leading the charge towards solar deployment, a lack of funding and policy transparency coupled with bureaucratic inertia is limiting PV rollout.
Jun 07, 2017
“Will solar continue to go on in France? Yes”
pv magazine: Macron is now France’s new President. Is this good news for solar? Xavier Daval: What Macron said during his campaign, and what is on his website, seems a continuation of what Energy Minister Ségolène Royal did. However, the true direction doesn’t seem clear at all. Macron said he aims to double solar and […]
Jun 07, 2017
Solar arrives at world’s largest industrial show
Hannover Messe: The time for solar and storage is now. The message from pv magazine’s Solar Premium partners at the 2017 Hannover Messe was simple but compelling, and it made for an irresistible proposition for attendees at the landmark event.
Jun 07, 2017
Hold firm, Europe
European solar: The landscape for European PV has never looked so barren. An industry largely created and financed – at least in the early stages – by EU member states is increasingly dominated by China, but smarter policies can bring back the dynamism and innovation that first helped European solar soar, believes Gäetan Masson, Director of the Becquerel Institute.
Jun 07, 2017
Top dog no longer
Stock analysts often perceive a shiny new corporate HQ as auguring poorly for a company’s future. Overexuberance on the back of one or more years of strong performance can lead to overspend, overreach, and trouble down the road if market conditions sour. The same can be said of parties during trade shows. Many who have […]
Jun 07, 2017
