The fertile solar crescent – 01-2018
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Major milestones for PAYG solar in Africa
Off-grid financials: Acquisitions in the pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar home system market indicate signs of market maturity: market specialization, the formation of multiple revenue streams, and the first equity exit. pv magazine spoke with the PAYG companies involved in the recent acquisitions to understand the impact on their businesses, and on the PAYG solar market as a whole.
Jan 16, 2018
Planning certainty at last
PV/diesel hybrid systems: It is now finally possible to reliably calculate the viability of photovoltaic-diesel hybrid systems for electricity generation. Questionable estimates are a thing of the past, thanks to a VDE-certified modelling approach. It could help hybrid systems achieve a breakthrough.
Jan 16, 2018
The impact of peer to peer trading
Retail energy models: The growth of peer-to-peer models will have a significant impact on the PV industry, with rapidly growing interest in peer-to-peer energy retail models, and a number of trials and even commercial projects launching. Many (but not all) of these involve PV. In this article, Delta-ee Principal Analyst Charmaine Coutinho explores the status of and prospects for peer-to-peer business models, and the implications for the PV sector.
Jan 16, 2018
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Six trends that will shape the inverter landscape in 2018
Inverter overview: As 2017 drew to a close following a record-breaking year for solar, pv magazine sat down to discuss the global inverter landscape with Cormac Gilligan, Senior Solar Analyst at IHS Markit. With China dominant, India’s soaring solar market still very much up for grabs, and technical innovation a perennial route to market leadership, these are the six trends that we believe will shape the solar inverter landscape this year.
Jan 16, 2018
Building new markets
Thin film and BIPV: Thanks to their light weight and potential to be deployed on glass and other materials, thin film PV solutions show strong potential in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). CIGS is seen by many in the industry as a particularly suitable technology for these applications, and as the first of several factories is brought online in China, pv magazine looks at the potential for this and other thin film technologies in the nascent market for BIPV.
Jan 16, 2018
The next segment for trackers?
C&I trackers: Trackers have already taken over the utility-scale U.S. solar market segment, but the potentially bigger commercial and industrial segment has been largely ignored by tracker makers, EPCs, and developers. However, this could be about to change, as players in this segment look to trackers for their next move.
Jan 16, 2018
All about that baseload
Interview: The emergence of Finnish power firm Wärtsilä as a fledgling heavyweight in the world of renewables could usher in a new thirst for hybridized large-scale solar plants. The President of Wärtsilä Energy Solutions Javier Cavada outlines his vision for a solar+A.N.Other future.
Jan 16, 2018
The science of soil
Soiling and solar: No two solar plants are ever the same, and the conditions that can impact energy yield can literally change with the wind. Soiled solar modules had long been considered a minor nuisance for the sector, but as understanding of how soiling affects output improves, so have techniques and technologies to tackle the persistent problem of dirty modules.
Jan 16, 2018
IEA sells solar short
Global markets: In its annual World Energy Outlook the International Energy Agency frequently speaks in glowing terms about solar’s impressive importance in reducing costs. However, when it comes to the scenarios for deployment it remains very conservative – suggesting PV’s growth will flatten out and remain a bit player in the global energy mix. Auke Hoekstra, Senior Advisor in Electric Mobility at the Eindhoven University of Technology, is the latest in a growing number of people taking the IEA to task for getting solar wrong year after year.
Jan 16, 2018
Myanmar’s solar lifeline
Myanmar market overview: There is vast solar potential in the country, primarily in off-grid, which is the number one driver of electrification, and proving a lifeline for many. C&I presents an interesting business case, but as with utility-scale projects there is still a lot to be done.
Jan 16, 2018
€3/MWh is a crowd
French tender model: Crowdfunding is raising unexpected interest in France’s solar energy sector, as the local government last year introduced an additional incentive for tendered projects partly financed through crowdfunding. Although €3/MWh may seem a negligible sum, the bonus is attracting several developers and investors, as also in the booming French market price pressure is becoming stronger.
Jan 16, 2018
Taxing times
Solar and U.S. tax reform: The solar and wind industries largely dodged the bullet in the process of U.S. tax reform. But there will still be impacts on renewable energy project finance, which are many and complex, and it is hard to say what the final end-market impact will be.
Jan 16, 2018
Power, to the people
Puerto Rico: The devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria on the island of Puerto Rico was vast and indiscriminate. Reporter Daniella Cheslow visited some of the areas most badly affected and found a shredded grid, a rising demand for energy independence, solar and storage, and a heartening reminder of humankind’s capacity for kindness, endurance and determination.
Jan 16, 2018
Distributing MENA’s solar riches
Interview: Solar PV development in the Middle East and North Africa region has been indicating a move to the fast lane for some time. Could 2018 be the year in which the region, as a whole, begins to distribute its abundant PV potential in a manner that benefits all? pv magazine chats with APVIA’s COO Murray Cameron for the lowdown on what drives MENA’s policy decisions.
Jan 16, 2018
Solar’s new fertile crescent
Middle Eastern PV: The Jordanian solar sector has enjoyed near-constant growth in recent years, proving that it is a market founded on a sustainable and reliable base. Investors have been wondering for a few years whether Egypt can follow Jordan’s example successfully, and the signs are good that 2018 will prove to be a strong year for Egypt’s solar development. pv magazine explains the forces driving this optimism.
Jan 15, 2018
N-type capacity expansion in 2018
Manufacturing trends: Global PV demand reached 102 GW in 2017 thanks to the significant increase of Chinese demand. Demand will slightly drop in China, the U.S., and Japan this year, while India and the emerging markets should witness higher demand. Therefore, total demand in 2018 will just be slightly lower than last year, reaching 95 GW.
Jan 15, 2018
Vulnerable solar markets, and what makes them tick
Part II*: India is a risky country to do business in, because low bidding has led to margins so tight that any disruption could lead to market collapse, because low margins have led to shortcuts during installation of multi-megawatt projects, and because the business atmosphere can kindly be termed a labyrinth.
Jan 15, 2018
