Technology highlights 2018 – 05-2018
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Celebrate 10 years with pv magazine
It’s almost time to celebrate pv magazine’s 10th birthday! To officially mark this special occasion, pv magazine will be hosting a spectacular party at next month’s Intersolar Europe exhibition in Munich, Germany, which will also coincide with the exciting new magazine re-design and relaunch! The new-look pv magazine, refreshed and reinvigorated for 2018, will continue to deliver all of the usual technology-focused insight […]
May 17, 2018
Hype or hope?
Storage applications: Energy storage is certainly paving the way for new energy business models in Europe. But how does one separate hype from reality in this seemingly endless sea of ‘new energy’ innovations? Valts Grintals of Delta-ee dips a toe into turbid waters to find out.
May 17, 2018
Europe prepares to charge
Battery manufacturing in Europe: The European battery cell manufacturing landscape is sparse compared to its appetite for electric vehicles and stationary storage. Moves are afoot to alter that reality however, not least in Sweden, where Northvolt aims to develop a 32 GWh production facility within the next decade. pv magazine speaks with Northvolt CEO Peter Carlsson to find out more.
May 17, 2018
More than just money
Solar finance: Supporting the growth of solar PV and other renewable energies in developing nations in Africa and Asia obviously requires vast sums of capital. But beyond hard cash lies an ecosystem of support, expertise, and advisory bodies attuned to the acute needs of such regions, as Lucia Fuselli of the European Investment Bank (EIB) explains.
May 17, 2018
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The glue that holds it together
Shingled modules and ECA: Though by no means a new innovation, shingled cell technology is seeing renewed interest among many module manufacturers. As well as a desire among manufacturers to differentiate their products through novel use of technology, increased availability of electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) is cited as a major driver for the revamp.
May 17, 2018
Half-cut, fully explained
Half-cut cells: There can be no denying the proliferation of half-cut cell solar technology across the PV landscape. And while the industry is increasingly comfortable with, and eager for, half-cut solutions, it will no doubt welcome a refresher in the technology itself. Enter Shankar Sridhara, VP Technology at REC, to lend a hand.
May 17, 2018
Keys to half-cut cells
Half-cut cell production: From novel, to niche, and now approaching mainstream: In 2018 half-cut cell modules appear to be making the transition common to many new technologies with PV manufacturing. And in echoes of other technologies such as PERC, once the transition begins, it can occur at pace across new production lines.
May 17, 2018
“Technology is accelerating”
Research and development: Martin Green has attended the SNEC every year since its inception. During that time, he and his University New South Wales (UNSW) collaborators have driven a wide range of innovations within the Chinese and global PV manufacturing sector. Green, a Scientia Professor at UNSW and the Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics shares his take on PV technology in 2018.
May 17, 2018
On track for quality improvement
Global tracker markets: China continues to grow in importance as a key source of components for solar trackers produced by the world’s leading tracker companies, in part since improvements in Chinese quality control have advanced significantly over the last few years.
May 17, 2018
China’s push for quality
Quality management: The Chinese government has published new regulations for manufacturers at various levels in the solar industry, in an effort to gain some control over rampant expansions and limit the effects of overcapacity. The regulations include minimum research and development investments, and efficiency standards for new and old lines that have manufacturers pushing for PERC across the board.
May 17, 2018
Calculating large-scale PV
Large-scale solar costs: No two solar markets are ever the same, and all are buffeted by unique conditions that can affect development cost. And the larger the plant, the greater the impact of such external forces in shaping the investment outlay and potential return on income. These issues and more were addressed during a recent pv magazine webinar titled: Has large-scale solar got its sums right?
May 17, 2018
Value generation with rural mini-grids
Commercial mini-grids: To provide electricity access for all by 2030, the International Energy Agency estimates mini-grids will provide power to one third of the 1.1 billion people without electricity. Powering equipment that can generate income for rural villagers is hailed as one of the most important ways of enhancing rural mini-grid bankability. Rural mini-grid companies today are working with communities to understand what income-generating equipment, called productive uses of electricity, can make viable businesses.
May 17, 2018
China’s transition, India’s growth, inverters’ insight
Global inverter market: A strong 2017 for the solar inverter market may have mirrored growth elsewhere in the PV component chain, but the vital role that the inverter plays in a typical solar system may offer some clues as to where the solar industry is headed, both in 2018 and beyond.
May 17, 2018
Europe’s sunny path to grid parity
Unsubsidized PV: The vast solar resources of mature solar markets such as Spain and Italy may not be enough to ensure the viability of big PV projects conceived for the spot market of the private power purchase agreement (PPA) sector, because diversified portfolios and sophisticated financial models are key for their bankability. European solar association SolarPower Europe has already identified several different business models, but the standardization of these models and the contracts for the supply of power are poised to increase as more volume is deployed.
May 17, 2018
Three questions facing Indian solar
PV in India: The seemingly serene solar journey that India was on has hit stormy waters in recent months as issues regarding tariff duties, domestic content, and financial backing have served to shake confidence in the industry. But there still exists fantastic potential across the nation for PV to really embed itself as India’s favored power source, provided it can address these three key questions.
May 17, 2018
Greener horizons for China
China update: There is no denying that 2017 proved to be the most remarkable year yet for China’s PV industry. From whichever way one looks at it – be it installation figures, exports, manufacturing capacity growth, or innovation – the 12 months that shaped China’s solar industry were equally impressive and somewhat surprising, with even the national government perhaps shocked by the progress made.
May 17, 2018
Starter for 10
Under the hood of PV’s biggest manufacturers: The top 10 PV manufacturers in 2017 are a familiar bunch, and it is important to understand why, amid the shifting trends and divergent fortunes of leading players, the current crop of companies are where they are – a top 10 list, given context, is a window into the machinations of the solar industry.
May 17, 2018
He’s gone again…
… But is he gone for good? We are talking about Frank Asbeck and his company SolarWorld. It was only last August that I reported on the comeback of Asbeck as an investor and the new/old CEO of the PV module production and sales company that had risen from the ashes of insolvency.
May 17, 2018
Face to the future
There will be no reversal in the fortune of the solar industry. While not every year is likely to post double-digit growth, the direction of travel is set fast, guided by lofty targets for a cleaner planet and driven by the technological advances designed to get us there. It is astounding to think that a […]
May 17, 2018
