A solar lifeline – 07-2021
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Excerpt from the magazine
UK ETS – will it deliver?
U.K. carbon prices have looked relatively strong since the market launched in May. There is now optimism that the U.K. emissions trading system (ETS) will drive investment in renewables and green hydrogen. However, linking with the EU ETS is seen as key for the market to flourish in the longer term.
Jul 08, 2021
RE100 and the corporate renewable electricity boom
In 2020, corporate renewables purchases hit a record 23.7 GW. Much of this growth has been led by a non-profit global initiative, RE100, which is headed by the Climate Group and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Launched in 2014, 316 companies from more than 175 markets have now committed to buying 100% renewable electricity. As part of the UP Initiative, pv magazine spoke to Mariana Daykova, senior manager of renewable energy at CDP and its interim RE100 lead, about the progress that has been made and what’s in the cards going forward.
Jul 08, 2021
BNEF’s bullish outlook for corporate clean energy procurement
Corporate clean energy procurement continues to set new watermarks. In 2020, companies announced a record 25 GW of clean energy PPAs throughout the world, marking the fifth consecutive year of growth. As part of the pv magazine UP Initiative’s quarterly focus on sustainable electricity, Kyle Harrison, head of sustainability research at BloombergNEF, addresses key questions about the long-term outlook for corporate procurement.
Jul 08, 2021
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Europe’s gigafactory boom – 25 by ‘25
A gigafactory, as the name indicates, is a facility that aims to produce Li-ion cells at a gigawatt-hours scale of total capacity, so they can then be used in electric vehicles or stationary storage applications. The global production capacity of Li-ion cells is expected to reach 740 GWh by the end of 2021 – almost a threefold increase from 2017 – and Europe will account for 8% of the total. João Coelho, an analyst at Delta-EE, looks at how Europe plans to catch up.
Jul 08, 2021
pv magazine test: May 2021 results
We are pleased to present the next batch of energy yield results from the outdoor test field in Xi’an, China. In this issue, we look at the May 2021 results, along with additional analysis from George Touloupas, director of technology and quality at CEA.
Jul 08, 2021
SNEC trends in 2021
All eyes are drawn to China every year for SNEC, the world’s biggest solar PV expo, as it invariably features a large number of new products from the key Chinese manufacturers. Vincent Shaw was on the scene in Shanghai this year and took the opportunity to take the industry’s pulse.
Jul 08, 2021
Taking the heat
It happens every day: A bird flies over a rooftop solar panel array and deposits an unwelcome offering on a cell. Bird droppings are an annoyance that need to be cleaned off, but can also result in a hot spot on the affected cell, impacting the entire panel’s output and potentially affecting its long-term performance.
Jul 08, 2021
Power players
Everyone likes a league table, and research and consulting firm Exawatt is no different. Now in its third year, Exawatt’s Power Score ranking is a metric that compares PV module manufacturers based on financial health, profitability, and PV presence. Analysts Alex Barrows and Molly Morgan look at which companies topped the table for 2020. They also discuss the surprises ahead and the potential impact of upcoming technology shifts and market changes on Power Score rankings in the future.
Jul 08, 2021
From the back of the pack
Southeast Asia could well become the global engine room of renewable energy expansion. Population and economic growth is expected across the three decades in which the world has to decarbonize, but the brimming bounty of renewables deployment will force developers to navigate the region’s systems. As it turns out, that could be a treacherous task.
Jul 08, 2021
PV resilience under fire
The Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, is embracing solar energy as a reliable local energy source. However, its 2 million residents still only have access to electricity for just a few hours per day. Amjad Khashmann reports on damages to installed PV systems and the urgent need for new installations to support education, water, and health care.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: Going full circle
With manufacturing ramping up year by year and policies already looking to get ahead of the large volumes of end-of-life products, the landscape for lithium-ion battery recycling is rapidly changing. pv magazine recently spoke with Mari Lundström, associate professor of chemical and metallurgical engineering at Aalto University, to find out what is needed on the research side for the effective recycling of batteries.
Jul 08, 2021
In Converstation: Top n-type performance
In search of the next leap for cell and module efficiency, module manufacturers are now turning away from mono-PERC and increasingly toward n-type TOPCon technology. A few pioneering manufacturers have already begun mass production for the utility-scale market – including JinkoSolar. pv magazine recently caught up with Roberto Murgioni, Jinko’s division head of technical services and product management in Europe, for an update on the company’s TOPCon plans.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: Dust matters
Anil Kottantharayil currently leads the Centre for Research in Nanotechnology and Science, as well as the Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. He works on high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells, the impact of dust on solar panels, and the long-term reliability of photovoltaic modules.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: The effects of defects
Mónica LiraCantú leads a research group investigating nanostructured materials for photovoltaic energy at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2). Recently, her group led a project that looked deep into the crystalline structure of a perovskite solar cell, revealing new information about the formation of defects in the material and how they could be engineered to improve both efficiency and stability. pv magazine caught up with the Barcelona-based scientist to discuss the state of the art in perovskite solar cells and remaining challenges on the road to commercialization.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: Don’t be afraid of BIPV
Necessity, as it’s said, is the mother of invention. For architect Samira Jama Aden, who plays a central role at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin’s BAIP consultancy for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), the need for solar to be part of our built environment is becoming unavoidable. And for Aden, her mission is personal.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: The flagship of the energy transition
Ankica Kovač is an assistant professor at the University of Zagreb and the head of the Power Engineering Laboratory. She is also a member of the Council of the President of the Republic of Croatia for Energy Transition, along with numerous energy transition bodies and working groups.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: Vehicle-to-Gautham
Gautham Ram completed an electrical engineering degree in his home city of Chennai, India, and won a scholarship to complete a master’s at TU Delft in the Netherlands. He subsequently completed a PhD on the topic of charging EVs with solar. Speaking with pv magazine, Ram gave insights on his life, ongoing research, and his thoughts on EVs and charging.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: Distributed transformation
The time is now for the energy consumer, says Anna Bruce, as energy “prosumers” produce, consume, and provide electricity and grid services in previously unimagined ways. Bruce, a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales’ School of Solar Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE), leads work on the role of distributed energy resources in the energy transition, analyzing firsthand the dizzying level of complexity it brings.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: Pieces of the puzzle
Solar, and renewable energy more broadly, is often called a fast-paced industry. This is true when compared to many other industries, as PV manufacturers are able to introduce adaptations, or even completely new processes, into mass production at what might seem to outsiders like the drop of a hat. But in fact, every new development is the result of years of hard work.
Jul 08, 2021
In Conversation: ‘Let’s innovate with things that are already working or that we know are 100% clean’
Mark Jacobson, director of the atmosphere/energy program at Stanford University, has developed roadmaps for 143 countries to meet 100% of their energy demand from power generated by wind, water, and sunlight. In every case, these roadmaps promise major reductions in energy costs, while mitigating the effects of climate change and air pollution. pv magazine checked in with Jacobson for a look at the energy transition’s bigger picture.
Jul 08, 2021
Post SNEC: Market demand and technology trends
Every year, the SNEC PV Power Expo marks a turning point in the direction of solar market trends, and 2021 was no exception. Corrine Lin, chief analyst at PV InfoLink, was at the show to soak up the latest trends at one of the first big events to go ahead since early 2020.
Jul 08, 2021
Southeast Asia’s big PV plans – 27 GW by 2025
PV markets in Southeast Asia have picked up over the past two years, driven by the astounding growth of Vietnam. Regional policies, combined with growing demand for renewable power in the manufacturing industry, will result in 27 GW of new PV installations across the region over the next five years, writes IHS Markit analyst Dharmendra Kumar. PV installations in these countries are driven by attractive feed-in tariffs, net energy metering, tariff-based auction mechanisms, and other incentives.
Jul 08, 2021
Climate targets, PV price trends for 2030 – a viable mix?
More money for climate protection – that’s what the G7 heads of state agreed on at their recent summit in Cornwall, England. It will involve making a whole lot more funds available to expedite the current pace of renewable energy expansion.
Jul 08, 2021
Invention, the mother of necessity
From want to need; it’s a marketer’s dream, but it’s precisely the transition that solar has undergone over the last 10-15 years. Previously, PV was an expensive product, cost effective only when the provision of electricity from fossil fuels was prohibitively high or in the domain of environmentalist diehards, committed to low carbon technology no matter the cost.
Jul 08, 2021
