Upside of China’s downturn – 12-2019
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pv magazine test: October 2019 results
The next batch of energy yield results from the outdoor test field in Xi’an, China introduced new variables for bifacial modules. In this issue, we present the October 2019 results, alongside additional analysis from George Touloupas, director of technology and quality at CEA.
Dec 09, 2019
On the road with pv magazine
Where we have been: Energy Storage North America (ESNA) Hosted in sunny San Diego, California, pv magazine played a more active participating role as a partner to the ESNA conference and expo in November. To support developers looking to get into or advance in the storage sector, our senior editorial staff moderated the “Adding Value […]
Dec 09, 2019
Green shoots of recovery
There has been significant progress in the decarbonization of the electricity supply in Great Britain in recent years, underscored by a record run of 19 days of zero coal generation in May and June 2019. With National Grid’s stated aim of operating a carbon-neutral electricity system by 2025, the co-location of PV with battery storage could play a key role. The proposition offers the twin benefits of enabling increasingly high renewables penetration while simultaneously improving network stability. Adam Sharpe of Everoze explores the role of co-located PV and energy storage assets within the context of the UK’s future decarbonization plans.
Dec 09, 2019
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Preparing for takeoff
With demand for lithium-ion battery cells picking up, largely driven by EVs but also from the fast-growing stationary storage segment, production capacities in China are ramping up quickly. But safety and quality must remain centrally important in the face of the need to scale, even more so after the numerous battery fires that shocked buyers globally and brought the South Korean market to a standstill. Clean Energy Associates (CEA) has launched the 2019 BESS Supplier Market Intelligence Program report, covering 40 suppliers, in an effort to support buyers navigating this novel supplier landscape. George Touloupas, CEA’s director of technology and quality for solar and storage, shares the company’s key findings on the supply chain and tells us what can have an impact on Li-ion safety and reliability.
Dec 09, 2019
Exit strategy
With aggressive emissions-reduction goals and renewable energy targets expanding globally, storage is the final puzzle piece in the transition to a 100% renewable energy-powered grid. New gas-fired peaker plants are now being offset with the construction of storage facilities, and it is projected that the favorable economics of clean technologies will overtake existing gas generation assets by 2035. With the near-future potential of leaving stranded assets on the balance sheet, and advancing battery technology capabilities, there is a promising outlook for the accelerated decarbonization of the power sector.
Dec 09, 2019
UP: Taking on the challenge of sourcing raw materials for batteries in Q1 2020
Recent growth figures for the global storage market beggar belief. One Wood Mackenzie forecast anticipates market expansion from 12 GWh in 2018 to 158 GWh in 2024. While that will mean that many markets will be better equipped for the energy transition and more electric vehicles can hit the roads, concerns are being raised about […]
Dec 09, 2019
Taking the lead
This quarter, pv magazine‘s UP Initiative focuses on lead – a toxic heavy metal that’s present in many PV technologies, and one that’s often mentioned in connection with hazardous substances across the green energy supply chain. We take a closer look at the issue and ask what it would mean for manufacturers to replace lead in their modules with more environmentally friendly materials.
Dec 09, 2019
Guilt-free solar flying?
Synthetic kerosene produced from green hydrogen promises emissions-free air travel. That sounds good – and it does not even cost that much. But there is still much more work to be done. After all, only fuel-cell airplanes can make hydrogen-powered flight truly climate-neutral, and it will take some time before these aircraft are ready for widespread use.
Dec 09, 2019
Rising hopes for floating PV in India
The full house at the Future PV Roundtable at this year’s Renewable Energy India Expo was evidence of the buoyant expectations for the application of floating PV in the Indian market. But with the technology still at a relatively early stage in the country, many concerns are rising to the surface.
Dec 09, 2019
BIPV: More than the module
Building integrated PV has been described as a place where uncompetitive PV products attempt to go to market. But this may be unfair, says Björn Rau, the technology manager and deputy director of PVcomB at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin. Rau argues that the missing link to BIPV deployment lies at the intersection of the architectural community, construction industry, and PV manufacturers.
Dec 09, 2019
What broke at Oakey
With its high wholesale power prices, attractiveness to capital, wide open spaces and abundant sunshine, there is every reason to believe Australia is a PV project developer’s nirvana. However, as the wreckage at the 55 MW Oakey 2 site in Queensland reveals, challenges under the Australian sun should not be taken lightly.
Dec 09, 2019
Interview: Shedding some light on Indonesia’s offgrid growth
Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported in 2018 that 2,281 villages across the nation lacked access to electricity. As a vast archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia faces serious challenges when it comes to electrification, as inter-island connection remains prohibitively expensive. Two experts in the field, Ahmad Agus Setiawan and Chayun Budiono, share their knowledge.
Dec 09, 2019
A lightbulb moment for South Korea
South Korea’s Renewable Energy 3020 Implementation Plan – to hit 20% renewable energy by 2030 and 35% by 2040 – is bold but realistic. Buoyed by a rising middle class, homegrown technological excellence and a future-focused mentality, the next miracle on the Han River might well be solar-fueled, writes Hanwha Q Cells’ Ian Clover.
Dec 09, 2019
South Korea’s burning issue
The string of fires that shook up South Korea’s booming energy storage market throughout 2018 brought development to a screeching halt this year. Throughout the lackluster first half of 2019, manufacturers, installers and analysts remained cautiously hopeful that a government investigation into the fires might plant the seed for late-year market growth. However, another outbreak of fires in the months since the conclusion of the probe has shaken industry morale once again, snuffing out any lingering hopes for a quick recovery.
Dec 09, 2019
China’s market in transition
By the end of 2018, China was home to around one third of global cumulative PV capacity, with around 175 GW of operational PV systems. In the context of China’s power sector, writes Frank Haugwitz of Asia Europe Clean Energy Advisory, the cumulative installed capacity makes up 9% of the total existing power generation capacity and contributed approximately 2.7% to total electricity generation.
Dec 09, 2019
Is China’s market heading toward a cliff edge?
Even when taken in the context of the growing pessimism that has gripped China’s PV industry regarding 2019 demand since the middle of the year, the latest figures from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) are astonishing. More optimistic forecasts from earlier in the year have been downwardly revised, with installations headed for a “cliff edge” decline that could see demand fall by as much as 50% year on year. So, what exactly has taken place?
Dec 09, 2019
Vietnam’s solar opportunities shine bright
The outlook for growth in Vietnam’s renewables sector is positive, writes Daine Loh, research analyst at Fitch Solutions. And the solar segment is one of the key drivers of this impressive growth. Vietnam still has substantial untapped solar power potential. Coupled with an increasingly supportive regulatory environment, and an expected surge in electricity consumption over the next decade, the country’s renewables sector is poised for a new dawn. And this will bring substantial opportunities for investors.
Dec 09, 2019
Never a dull moment in the US-solar market
With its trade wars, exclusions from tariffs, reversals of exclusions, and stays of reversals of exclusions – in addition to the repeal of the Clean Air Act and potential changes to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act – the U.S. solar market is anything but boring, writes SPV Market Research’s Paula Mints.
Dec 09, 2019
12 GW bifacial demand in 2020
Back in June, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) granted Section 201 tariff exemptions to bifacial cells and modules, but reversed the decision on Oct. 28. Two weeks after the reversal, the U.S. Court of International Trade issued a temporary order against the withdrawal of the bifacial exemption. An investigation is now underway, with the first hearing taking place on Dec. 5.
Dec 09, 2019
China’s stagnation is the world’s opportunity
On Oct. 29, China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) released cumulative connection data for the first nine months of 2019, when China installed just under 16 GW. This breaks down as 52% distributed generation projects and 48% ground-mount installations. The figure represents a decrease of 54% for the first three quarters compared to 2018. Numbers for […]
Dec 09, 2019
A year of change: Part 1
To hear our policymakers talk, the energy transition – an unprecedented, radical and rapid transformation of our energy and economic systems – is now in full swing. So much is being reformed and so much is being accomplished – we can’t possibly do more! But reality paints a completely different picture. Even for the big energy companies, which once leaned on the brakes in the face of change, the current pace of the federal government has become too sluggish. The utilities have started to set the pace for change to prepare quickly for a future in which emissions-free energy will be generated exclusively from renewable sources. With or without climate targets, for the utilities it is a matter of developing a survival strategy in a disruptive market.
Dec 09, 2019
PV’s transformative decade
How will this century‘s teens be remembered? There are numerous notable, and some regrettable, moments that took place, likely changing the world forever. And while it’s easy in our microcosms to get carried away with the significance of our chosen field, I believe it’s not an exaggeration to say that the achievements of solar PV […]
Dec 09, 2019
