Solar leads the European recovery – 06-2020
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Turkey’s reimagined solar regulations
In 2020, Turkey has discovered the importance of small-scale distributed energy generation, along with energy efficiency. After deploying a range of strategies to allocate solar power plant capacities throughout almost 10 years of solar PV development, the introduction of new net-metering legislation for unlicensed rooftop solar power plants is proving effective in promoting “self-consumption,” write Stantec Turkey experts Selen Inal, Koray Goytan and Alican Ozden.
Jun 15, 2020
Curtailment in Ukraine: what to expect
There has been an increase in curtailment events impacting renewable energy arrays in Ukraine in 2020 – growing from a trickle to a flood. At present, there are no measures for how the owners of these projects are to be compensated for the curtailed energy, but as Tetiana Mylenka of law firm Hillmont Partners reports, efforts are underway to put a compensatory regime in place.
Jun 15, 2020
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Evolving landscape for insurance in the PV industry
Risk transfer and credit enhancement – these are the primary drivers for why we buy insurance, says Jan Napiorkowski, global head of clean energy for Ariel Re. And as more sophisticated and larger investors move into solar asset ownership, demand for performance guarantees is increasing.
Jun 15, 2020
Doughnuts are the new green
The next quarterly theme of pv magazine’s UP initiative focuses on circular manufacturing. We’ll investigate if adopting circular approaches can create competitive edges and reap financial and reputational rewards. We’ll also look at what is already being done in the solar industry, and examine how such principles could be effectively integrated into business strategies.
Jun 15, 2020
Green finance and the future of PV
According to the IEA’s World Energy Investment 2020 report, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest ever drop in global energy spending, with investment expected to plunge in every major sector, from fossil fuels to renewables and efficiency. Felicia Jackson explores the future of solar and the impact green stimulus could have on the sector.
Jun 15, 2020
A closer look at hydrogen infrastructure
Momentum is building for a new era of the hydrogen economy. Green hydrogen production is decreasing in cost, as greater levels of renewables are being integrated into the grid, and countries are developing hydrogen plans. Shayne Willette from Navigant sets out how, as a result, hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a potentially significant contributor to the decarbonization of the energy sector.
Jun 15, 2020
Adding blockchain to battery supply chains
Responsibility in battery supply chains has become a growing focal point over the last few years and will remain a key theme as demand for mobile phones, electric vehicles, and alternative forms of energy continue to increase. Alexander Preston from SAFE sets out how the application of blockchain technology can deliver visibility, build trust, and facilitate the battery sector’s digital transformation.
Jun 15, 2020
Scientists at Argonne develop new kind of thermal battery
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new kind of thermal battery that can greatly increase the energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness of many industrial processes and shows great promise for use in the solar industry. Liz Thompson reports that Argonne’s Thermal Energy Storage System (TESS) can rapidly capture and store surplus heat so that it can be used as needed. With its pioneering modular design and material advancements resulting in greater efficiency, TESS is a big step forward in thermal battery technology.
Jun 15, 2020
Tandem modules: a unique opportunity for EU PV
In the coming years, tandem modules combining silicon PV and perovskite solar cells will become available. Using these modules in novel integrated solar solutions will demand close links between local market players and customers. This presents Europe with a unique opportunity to regain an important role in solar manufacturing, says Philip Pieters, business development director at imec.
Jun 15, 2020
‘Sustainability without compromise’
With such small volumes of products at end of life, it is little wonder that recycling materials from PV modules for new PV modules is far from central on the solar industry’s agenda. But according to Steven Davies, a market manager for DuPont Teijin Films, recycled PET can be incorporated into backsheets – giving them a pretty handy 25-year second life.
Jun 15, 2020
Pushing sustainability in PV
Recent European policy initiatives appear to be sharpening the focus on sustainability across the economy and also within PV. Michele Vannini, the PV business manager at Italian backsheet supplier Coveme says that the initial signs are good that things are moving in the right direction, and that backsheets will undoubtedly play a key role in the evolution of PV module sustainability.
Jun 15, 2020
More wires for larger cells
Somewhat less publicized than the recent move to larger wafer formats from China’s cell suppliers has been accompanying growth in multi-busbar cell interconnection strategies, which typically forego flat ribbons in favor of round wires to carry a charge generated in a cell out into the system. This brings benefits in module performance and can also reduce silver content in the cells. Equipment suppliers in Europe, however, see several problems in the processing of round wires that could risk performance and quality issues, and will need to be ironed out for the technology to gain further ground.
Jun 15, 2020
Meyer Burger’s Made-in-Germany plans
While Germany’s coal reserves represented a home-grown energy source in decades past, it’s history of PV module making has been patchy – with a long list of failed ventures a feature. However, as plans for a coal exit begin to take shape, one technology supplier is looking to build a new era of high-efficiency crystalline silicon PV production.
Jun 15, 2020
Shadow boxing
The amount of non-uniform shading an array will experience determines the technology choices that can be made. However, it can be complicated to formulate more general rules for when to use what type of technology. Most would agree that module-level power electronics are better at handling non-uniform shading, but how do they handle the sun? A recently promoted study brought the discussion into sharp relief.
Jun 15, 2020
Inverted sustainability
Sustainability is undoubtedly the prime motive for the very existence of the solar industry. After having rolled out some 600 GW globally, there are new challenges ahead. It is not enough to simply surpass fossil fuels in terms of environmental outcomes, but efforts have to be made to make solar sustainable – period. In the EU, a range of new projects and legislative acts determine the direction, with some suppliers of solar products already undergoing the process of identifying the sustainability hotspots.
Jun 15, 2020
‘We will need a solution’
The Circusol project was established in August 2018 with the aim of fostering business models that demonstrate the circular economy within the solar industry. Tom Rommens from the Flemish sustainability research group Vito serves as the Circusol coordinator. He reports that with a wave of PV products at end of life forming, Circusol’s five demonstration projects are providing insights into how circular-economy principles can be applied to PV.
Jun 15, 2020
Collaborative digital fixes for the energy transition
Straddling two state borders, the West Murray region in southeastern Australia has become a microcosm of technical challenges that can plague the energy transition. Faced with serious curtailment of solar farms in this electrically remote region, a remarkable inverter-based technical feat may have changed the game.
Jun 15, 2020
Sink or swim
The impressive progress made by offshore wind arrays may be attracting a new group of PV developers looking to leave the constraints of the roof and free field behind. And while saltwater, wind and waves are no friend of PV, progress is being made in proving the potential applications.
Jun 15, 2020
40 maybe the new 20
Until recently, PV plants were designed and developed to last as long as the incentive schemes underpinning their business models – feed-in tariff regimes and green certificate programs, in particular. Such schemes generally provided for a period of 20 to 25 years and the horizon of developer business models was set to match this. But as solar has matured and costs have fallen, longer operational periods are becoming the norm, argues Christophe Campistron, a partner at Everoze.
Jun 15, 2020
Pirates of the PV industry
Product piracy is a well-known threat in many industries, and in solar the risk posed by poor quality products from disreputable manufacturers making their way onto rooftops and other PV installations should not be underestimated. With manufacturers investing in solutions to protect against inferior products bearing their logo, pv magazine looks at the size of the problem.
Jun 15, 2020
Roundtables Europe 2020: expanded program, global attendees, more opportunities to connect
With solar industry events canceled or postponed globally, pv magazine made the decision to take its successful Roundtables Europe program online in 2020. Quality discussions and discussions on quality have long been a part of pv magazine Roundtables and this was unchanged in 2020. What’s new was the addition of three new sessions focused on asset management, sustainability and post-Covid-19 market insights.
Jun 15, 2020
The show must go on… paper
Each year, Intersolar and the wider smarter E Europe exhibition offer a vital health check for the industry, not to mention the chance for players to come together over a couple of world-famous Bavarian beers. This year though, the show is among the huge number of events worldwide to have been canceled or postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Sad to miss out on our usual team trip to Munich, pv magazine reached out to the show’s organizers, as well as a few key exhibitors, for a look at what might have been.
Jun 15, 2020
Covid-19 bolsters an EU Green Deal
The health and economic crisis caused by Covid-19 has had significant short-term impacts on European electricity demand. But the policy response to the crisis will shape the energy transition in Europe over the long term. With the €1.85 trillion recovery plan proposed by the European Commission, European leaders are aiming to jump-start the economy while maintaining focus on the energy transition.
Jun 15, 2020
Climate-neutral EU before 2050
The European Commission has positioned the Green Deal at the center of its policy priorities. The goals have been set: climate-neutrality, zero greenhouse gas emissions, and the complete decarbonization of the energy sector by 2050. The stakes are high, writes SolarPower Europe CEO Walburga Hemetsberger, but thus far Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made good on her promises.
Jun 15, 2020
A green road to recovery
In 2019, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal, under which it aims to become climate-neutral by 2050. In May of this year, the commission also unveiled a new instrument to fund the bloc’s recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, in line with the Green Deal principles. This reinforced the drive for renewables investment. pv magazine examines what the latest developments mean for solar.
Jun 15, 2020
Beware of zombies: PV thriving after chaos
In times of crisis, a population usually divides itself into two opinion groups. On the one hand, there are those who believe the storm will pass and things will return to business as usual. And on the other, there are those who took the time to embrace the new reality, accepted it, and now swear that the old world has disappeared and won’t ever come back. In general, writes Becquerel Institute’s Gaëtan Masson, reality splits between the two and makes everyone wrong. And this is what might be about to happen in the solar PV sector.
Jun 15, 2020
Module prices plunge as Covid-19 hammers demand
Some European countries and emerging markets are now showing signs of slow recovery, as the Covid-19 pandemic brought overseas markets to a shuddering halt in late March. However, demand is expected to remain weak through the beginning of the third quarter, writes PV InfoLink’s Amy Fang, as it will take time for overseas markets to snap back. Meanwhile, the Chinese market is again busy with the June 30 installation rush, as the government has left tariff timelines unchanged up to the middle of May.
Jun 15, 2020
Record shipments push global solar PV inverter market past $9 billion in 2019
The PV inverter market achieved record shipments in 2019, writes IHS Markit’s Miguel de Jesus, driven by booming shipments in key markets such as the United States, Spain, Latin America, Ukraine and Vietnam. Revenue rose rapidly, surpassing the $9 billion mark in 2019 for the first time.
Jun 15, 2020
Is size all that matters?
A few months back, Martin Schachinger of pvXchange asked a question: Are bifacial modules taking over the market? Earlier, he had already noted the ongoing shift from full-cell to half-cut modules. And now, both trends seem to have foretold developments that are currently unfolding. While this cannot exactly be characterized as progress, because current developments are being driven by big Asian manufacturers, it certainly warrants a critical eye. Just a few months ago, the consensus was that the 500 W limit could only be cracked, if at all, by adding together both sides of a bifacial panel’s output. Now companies are close to introducing products to the market that have monofacial output of more than 500 W. How was this achieved so quickly?
Jun 15, 2020
