How low can they go? – 07-2018
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AC, or DC: That is the question
Energy storage is here to stay, no doubt about that. We know where to put excess energy from a solar installation; but where in a system should the battery be placed? On the AC side, where the stored power is ready to flow into the grid at a moment’s notice, or on the DC side, where current from solar panels can flow directly into the battery?
Jul 25, 2018
“We need 80% transition in 12 years”
Having worked on modeling a 100% renewable energy world for almost a decade, Mark Jacobson is well aware that many view such a clean energy system to be a pipe dream. In 2017 Jacobson, a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, took on his critics, suing the academics who had heavily criticized his “100 Renewable world!” paper, and the publishing journal for $10 million for defamation. pv magazine met with Professor Jacobson last month to discuss the energy transition, and his vision for a 100% renewable powered world by 2050.
Jul 25, 2018
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Module stability
With production and capacity figures provided by industry analyst IHS Markit, pv magazine gives a rundown of the top ten crystalline silicon module manufacturers based on 2017 production data, and a look at the market forces and technology trends that shaped the supply landscape.
Jul 25, 2018
CIGS is back, back again
Stability and reliability, partial transparency, monolithic deposition onto flexible substrates, aesthetically pleasing appearance, applicability in roll-to-roll production, superior temperature coefficient, potential in tandem applications, and suitability for BIPV: The list of advantages that CIGS technology offers is well established and lengthy.
Jul 25, 2018
Sungrow: Floating PV creates ripples in South-East Asia
Floating PV systems have seen their dawn in South-East Asia and China in particular. Densely populated regions, resulting in high land prices and a comparatively high availability of otherwise not used water bodies made this solution and eyecatcher for many PV developers in the regions. At Intersolar Europe in Munich pv magazine met with a big fish in the floating PV field to talk about this new market.
Jul 25, 2018
Immunizing Latin American PV
While Latin America’s PV markets are not immune from the most common quality issues related to PV products and projects, extensive track records or statistics on cases of poor quality are difficult to come by. A few international and local entities operating from Chile to Mexico are currently dealing with product certification, international standards, and research on specific cases. This, however, is not enough to improve conditions for more quality in all markets.
Jul 25, 2018
Cryptos & watts – good bedfellows
Last year, blockchain stole the show in the digital assets ecosystem, showcasing a myriad of ways to revolutionize energy infrastructures. The sector has been exploring the software’s potential to securely track and exchange data. In 2018, SolarCoin and P2P energy trading platforms are some of the blockchain applications energy players will be keeping a close eye on.
Jul 25, 2018
California’s solar and wind integration challenge
As a leader in the global energy transition, California is putting some of the highest levels of solar and wind on its grid in the world to date. And while the state’s grid operator has made some progress, the integration of these resources is currently limited not by physics, but by market rules and operational practices.
Jul 25, 2018
China’s Global Power Play
With all the uproar in China about the impact of the June 1st “2018 Solar PV Power Generation Notice” issued by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), National Energy Administration (NEA) and Ministry of Finance (MOF), one could think that China’s government has lost faith in solar PV’s potential to contribute to China’s historic shift from coal-fired power to clean renewable energy sources. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Jul 25, 2018
The signs were there
China’s recent solar notice resulted in considerable consequences for the world’s largest solar PV market. While the news seemed sudden, the signs were there although no one paid them enough attention. On the back of the changes, AECEA not only lowered its annual demand forecasts, but also those for the remaining years of the 13th Five-Year-Plan period.
Jul 25, 2018
The darkest hour before the dawn
China’s May 31 solar policy changes sent reverberations through the global PV industry. Vincent Shaw reports from Shanghai on the 31/5 policy, its forecast impact, drivers, and the 11th hour efforts to avert what some describe as a “car crash” of a policy shift.
Jul 25, 2018
Floating PV reaches the surface
Until recently, the market for floating solar systems have been available for more than a decade, but the market has until recently been limited to small and moderate size installations in a few countries. In 2017, this changed, as 390 MW of new floating PV systems were installed worldwide, mainly as part of the Top Runner Program in China.
Jul 25, 2018
Tech upgrades on the back of a downturn
The May 31st announcement by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, and National Energy Administration of China, states that there will be temporarily suspended arrangements for utility scale PV plants in 2018 target, anda cap on distributed generation (DG) at 10 GW in the entire year. The notice also reduces the PV FIT by CNY 0.05 starting May 31. The sudden notification has severely impacted China’s PV demand.
Jul 25, 2018
Bad for the industry – but unfortunately, awesome.
Taken from a song by beloved German group Deichkind, the phrase ‘leider geil’, roughly translated as ‘unfortunately awesome’, applies quite nicely, in my view at least, to the current downward spiral of module and cell prices. Of course, it is clear that some companies – especially module producers – will again fall by the wayside. […]
Jul 25, 2018
Solar Stocks Slipping
Solar Stocks Significantly Underperformed the Broader Market in June. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) decreased 8.2% vs. the S&P 500 and Dow down 0.6% and 1.5%, respectively. The general investor sentiment around the solar industry is very negative due to the shocking policy change in China. Pricing is on the decline. Polysilicon pricing appears to […]
Jul 25, 2018
