Spotlight on quality – 04-2021
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Excerpt from the magazine
Microcracks and module design
New cell and module technologies are boosting power outputs, but they often have implications for quality. A focus purely on cell cracking illustrates just this point, with some approaches proving beneficial, and others potentially problematic – cue Tristan Erion-Lorico from PV Evolution Labs (PVEL).
Apr 08, 2021
China’s push for decarbonization
The carbon market is finally a reality in China. After 10 years of delays, regional pilot schemes and general uncertainty, China’s national carbon market became a reality on Feb. 1, 2021. Over time, the scheme is expected to support China’s gradual shift away from coal toward more solar and wind in power generation.
Apr 07, 2021
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10 GW is just the beginning
Giant PV and wind projects are taking shape in Australia’s north, with the aim of supplying Asia with the clean energy it needs for decades to come. The Asian Renewable Energy Hub is one such project, as it targets green hydrogen production at a cost of $1.50/kg. Sacha Thacker, chief strategy officer at InterContinental Energy – one of the companies trying to the get the ambitious initiative off the ground – says that while the scale of projects today boggles the mind, the coming demand is more boggling still.
Apr 07, 2021
Battery testing builds certainty
Owners and operators of energy storage systems, as well as investors, need transparent ways to evaluate battery performance. They need certainty that the selected batteries for their ESS projects will perform reliably, have predictable life expectancies, and meet projected revenue and contractual obligations over their lifetimes. The economic viability of entire projects depend on this confidence, writes Michael Kleinberg of DNV.
Apr 07, 2021
Polysilicon from Xinjiang: a balanced view
As of March, the United States and Europe were considering sanctions on polysilicon from Xinjiang, China, due to concerns over forced labor. The U.S. government has already barred entry for all cotton products and tomatoes from the region. However, as BloombergNEF analyst Jenny Chase writes, there is no evidence that forced labor is used in polysilicon production in Xinjiang – in fact, the economics might point against it.
Apr 07, 2021
ESG criteria: Should developers take notice?
Something is brewing in the financial world. “Sustainable finance” and the growth of ESG funds have been taking the market by storm in recent years. Since most major PV projects end up needing investors from the capital market, it is only a matter of time before they will have to adapt. The beginning of March 2021 saw a milestone reached in this process.
Apr 07, 2021
Unchained: Political moves shift solar supply
PV module supply chains to the U.S. industry are in flux, and not for the first time. Moves to take action alongside stimulus measures aimed at clean energy are changing the way in which U.S. developers and installers source modules, writes David Wagman, senior editor of pv magazine USA.
Apr 07, 2021
Pushing POE for longer module lifetimes
Polyolefin-based films are estimated to represent around 20% of the market for PV module encapsulation materials – a share that has been growing each year since 2017. The challenge of potential-induced degradation in bifacial modules has thus far driven this shift, but polyolefin has plenty more to offer in ensuring long-term performance for PV modules. pv magazine recently caught up with Yuyan Li, technical leader for PV applications at Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics – the supplier of Engage PV POE resin – to discuss the latest developments in the PV encapsulants market.
Apr 07, 2021
Pretty stressful – PID trials on the test bench
To find out whether a module is susceptible to potential-induced degradation, you can conduct stress tests in a climate chamber. These tests are designed to induce potential-induced degradation and reach stress levels at or beyond what a module would likely experience in the field. That is what the standard says, at any rate. But researchers at Germany’s Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research have now confirmed long-standing doubts about the reliability of the standard test for highly stressed modules in 1,500 V power plants. One solution is tougher testing and better materials selection.
Apr 07, 2021
A deeper understanding of LeTID
Australia’s University of New South Wales (UNSW) has built a reputation for strong collaboration with the PV industry, from cell passivation through to the causes of degradation. Malcolm Abbott, a senior research fellow, directs one of the UNSW teams that is continuing its work into light and elevated temperature-induced degradation (LeTID). He recently spoke with pv magazine to provide an update.
Apr 07, 2021
Flexible tools for the next generation
A solar manufacturing investment cycle appears to be underway in Europe, with equipment suppliers reporting surging levels of inquiries for new production lines. Larger PV wafer formats are driving the change, along with renewed confidence in the outlook for the solar PV market on the continent. To meet the demand, European equipment suppliers are now embracing flexibility.
Apr 07, 2021
PV feed in, certified
As more renewable energy capacity is built, commissioned, and connected, grid stability concerns are driving rapid regulatory changes. In the European Union, regulatory changes are now building momentum. As the first mover, Germany has shown that achieving compliance can initially seem burdensome, but it can quickly be integrated into existing processes and platforms.
Apr 07, 2021
Curtailing corrosion: making mounting structures last
Raw material quality is vital for solar power plants, particularly given higher expectations for their lifetimes, as 30+ years is becoming increasingly common for PV arrays. Steel is the main structural material used in such installations today, so the use of quality protective coatings in their construction has never been more important, writes Jérôme Guth, the solar segment leader for ArcelorMittal Europe.
Apr 07, 2021
Time to standardize
Not all quality control plans, processes and agreements are created equal, writes Frédéric Dross, the VP of strategic development for Senergy Technical Services (STS). Indeed, developers can find themselves saddled with agreements that allow unacceptably low levels of quality, unless they have followed standards.
Apr 07, 2021
The more you know
Module-level power electronics, most often in the form of power optimizers and microinverters, offer a range of value propositions, including advanced monitoring capabilities. But how much can the little box behind the module really see, and how much do operators actually need to know to keep a power plant running optimally?
Apr 07, 2021
We all trust the performance ratio test – but should we?
The performance ratio test is at the core of the handover from EPC to owner. Yet sometimes, even when best practice is applied – and without particularly demanding guaranteed values to be achieved – these tests fail good projects. This can lead to costly delays and wasted effort spent trying to find issues that might not exist. Everoze Partner Dario Brivio reviews the likelihood of this happening and considers ways to increase confidence in the precision of such tests, based on recent independent analysis of real-world projects.
Apr 07, 2021
The feasibility of India’s auctions
The offtaker’s creditworthiness, the ease of land acquisition, infrastructure readiness, policy consistency and clarity, and access to low-cost funds are among the key determinants for the success of large-scale PV auctions in India, writes Uma Gupta in New Delhi.
Apr 07, 2021
Korea shifts into top gear
There is a fresh sense of urgency and common purpose in South Korea toward combating climate change. In 2021, government mandates to boost green energy are being well received among many Korean blue-chip companies. This bodes well for the nation’s solar PV rollout, writes Ian Clover, manager of corporate communications at Q Cells.
Apr 07, 2021
Solar and silver price hikes
The PV industry has experienced several rounds of price increases since the second half of 2020, from polysilicon to materials such as PV glass and films. Between July 2020 and February 2021, prices quoted for 3.2 mm and 2 mm glass surged by more than 60% per square meter. Prices for EVA and POE encapsulant films skyrocketed by more than 40% and 10%, respectively. Prices for silver paste also rose 7%, and have since remained stubbornly high. PV InfoLink Chief Analyst Corrine Lin examines the impact of silver’s recent price turbulence on PV cell manufacturing.
Apr 07, 2021
Strong growth ahead for storage
Annual battery storage installations will exceed 10 GW/28 GWh in 2021, following a particularly strong year in 2020, despite the challenges created by the global pandemic, writes IHS Markit analyst Mike Longson. Combined solar and storage will be a core focus for new deployment in 2021, as the front-of-the-meter and behind-the-meter energy storage markets are both expected to grow significantly in the months ahead.
Apr 07, 2021
The ideal format
The speed at which manufacturers are introducing changes from one product generation to the next is accelerating – currently, formats are scarcely available for more than a few months before another revised product is launched. But occasionally new module dimensions also bring new problems, be it in handling, plant design, or logistics. Ever-shorter product cycles and hastily launched record-breaking modules with capacities of 500 W, 600 W, or even 700 W are not always welcomed with open arms – especially by those who have to work with them, writes Martin Schachinger of pvXchange.com.
Apr 07, 2021
On strong fundamentals
The solar industry faced headwinds in March, writes Jesse Pichel of ROTH Capital Partners, thanks to rising interest rates and, in California, concerns over increasing grid access fees. Despite this, the recent earnings season reveals strong fundamentals and a healthy outlook for most players.
Apr 07, 2021
When quality meets quantity
As 2021 progresses, the signs of it being (yet another) banner year for PV deployment become clearer. An increasing number of market observers are tipping that solar deployment globally will pass the 150 GW mark for the first time. And energy storage is also ramping fast.
Apr 07, 2021
