The burning question – 10-2021
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Moorabool burning
At approximately 10:30 a.m. on July 30, 150 firefighters responded to a fire at Neoen’s 300 MW/450 MWh Victorian Big Battery in Moorabool, which is due for completion this year. The fire crews arrived to a 13-ton lithium battery ablaze in a shipping container, and the fire wasn’t brought under control until three days later, on the afternoon of Aug. 2. With a widescale investigation now underway, pv magazine asks how such failures can be prevented, and whether we should be better prepared for the inevitability of battery failure.
Oct 05, 2021
Hidden traps
Frédéric Dross of STS shares the minor yet essential details that buyers must pay close attention to when finalizing module purchase agreements, based on the company’s experience advising clients across the globe. Avoiding hidden traps in purchase agreements comes down to detailed contractual knowledge, fine print, and understanding common practices to bypass strict controls.
Oct 05, 2021
Independence day
Endurans Solar sprung into existence earlier this year following the acquisition of DSM’s Advanced Solar business by U.S.-based coatings and adhesives company Worthen Industries. The now independently operating company has big plans for the solar industry, including expansion beyond its core backsheet business. pv magazine caught up with Nathan Arbitman, president of Endurans Solar.
Oct 05, 2021
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To replace or repair
Backsheet chalking, especially of polyamide backsheet films, doesn’t take long to lead to cracks and then safety shutdowns. Sometimes, though, the period may be much longer or shorter than expected. Assessing the risk and whether on-site repairs offer a long-term solution is currently a topic of strong debate within the PV industry, as Cornelia Lichner from the pv magazine Deutschland team reports.
Oct 05, 2021
Half cells on edge
Half-cut solar cells have quickly grown to become an industry standard, promising more power through reduced cell-to-module losses, among other advantages. Innovative processes have been introduced to reduce cell damage during the actual cutting process, but even these still leave behind an unpassivated area at the edge of the cell, which can result in performance losses. As cell efficiencies increase, this will only become more of a problem. pv magazine examines the possible solutions.
Oct 05, 2021
Supplying across, through APAC market segments
One year on from its spinoff from SunPower, cell and module maker Maxeon Solar Technologies is looking to supply both “across and through” the solar market segments in the Asia-Pacific region. Chris O’Brien, the vice president of APAC for Maxeon, says that the region is set to grow in importance among PV marketplaces, with opportunities on the home, business and free field.
Oct 05, 2021
A messy perovskite separation
There are increasing signs that a new era for PV production in Europe may be dawning. However, two pioneers of PV technology have decided, at this moment, to part ways. And while at present there are more questions than answers, technology and business strategy both appear to have played a role.
Oct 05, 2021
What’s next for polysilicon?
The past 12 months have proved profitable for polysilicon manufacturers, as selling prices have soared to levels not seen since 2011. However, with major new capacity expansions on the horizon from most of the leading manufacturers, and new players planning to enter the scene, the market balance looks set to shift. Exawatt’s Alex Barrows rounds up where the industry stands and what might happen next.
Oct 05, 2021
Inverter procurement must grow up
Joseph Song, co-founder of Segue Sustainable Infrastructure, charts a brief history of the solar industry. He applauds the industry’s heavy scrutiny of solar module quality, which is regularly challenged by developers and EPCs. At the same time, inverters remain more of a black box, where real visibility of specs and features is less common, and word of mouth is trusted over limited datasheets.
Oct 05, 2021
Out of landfill, back in the stream
With technological progress, falling costs, and favorable subsidies all incentivizing Australian households to replace serviceable modules and upgrade their rooftop array, a stockpile of useable second-hand modules is mounting. But efforts to embrace reuse rather than refuse are taking shape.
Oct 05, 2021
Prioritizing electrification
The urgency to decarbonize the building sector has caught global attention in the lead-up to the COP26 summit, commencing on Oct. 31. Wood Mackenzie’s Ben Hertz-Shargel says that success will require a two-pronged strategy of massively electrifying building heat over the coming decade, while also investing in technologies that can pick up future heating demand if the grid cannot handle it.
Oct 05, 2021
Powerful equation to expand C&I
Big rooftop PV systems on factories, warehouses and public buildings need not be limited by ownership issues nor local grid capacity, claims Australian innovator EleXsys Energy. The company is maxing out an Ikea in Adelaide, Australia, with solar and storage. And it claims its smart technology can allow the same to be done elsewhere.
Oct 05, 2021
Independent action
The city of Ithaca, New York – located 180 miles from Manhattan – has adopted a Green New Deal, in line with its aims to offset all carbon emissions by 2030. It is implementing private equity programs and net-zero building mandates to get there. Ryan Kennedy reports as part of the UP Initiative’s fourth-quarter focus on urban solar.
Oct 05, 2021
Under one roof
pv magazine looks at the progress being made to green the world’s cities, as part of the UP Initiative’s fourth-quarter focus on urban solar. The following article focuses on Europe’s solar plans and current achievements, specifically in heating and cooling, rooftop solar, and building-integrated PV.
Oct 05, 2021
Indonesia’s largest floating PV project – under the surface
The 145 MW Cirata floating PV project achieved financial close in August. The developers claim that the array, which covers 200 hectares of the water’s surface, is an example of transferring new technology that will pave the way for Indonesia’s solar industry and enable the setting of new policies.
Oct 05, 2021
Reshaping the climate conversation
Inventor, serial entrepreneur, energy analyst and scientist Saul Griffith is set to add the title of “author” to his collection with the October publication of his new book, “Electrify: An Optimist’s Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future.” Griffith – the CEO of Otherlab and the founder of Rewiring America and Rewiring Australia – says that the discussion of rapid decarbonization can be reimagined by thinking about the electric “machines” that can be installed in our homes.
Oct 05, 2021
More sun for everyone
It turns out that you can have too much of a good thing, says Mark Byrne of Australia’s Total Environment Centre. Or rather, it’s possible that there is too much rooftop PV at some times in some places. As a result, a range of critical reforms – including the introduction of export tariffs to pay for upgrades of the electricity distribution network – are necessary to allow for the uninhibited growth of solar in the future, he argues.
Oct 05, 2021
Supply, demand, and a foreign policy shakeup
As the solar market enters the busy season in September and October, module utilization rates are reaching 70% to 85%. However, structural shortages remain in the supply chain, with polysilicon supply running short in the face of high demand, writes PV InfoLink analyst Amy Fang. Prices, which were expected to stabilize, rose again in the second half. High module prices will cast a shadow on demand in the fourth quarter, prompting module manufacturers to postpone delivery for some orders from the second half into next year.
Oct 05, 2021
The evolution of residential PV in China
China is the largest residential PV market in the world, and this trend is only expected to strengthen in the next few years. By July 2021, China’s cumulative installed residential PV capacity had reached more than 30 GW, with a total of 1.864 million residential units hosting solar PV systems. IHS Markit’s Holly Hu looks behind these impressive numbers.
Oct 05, 2021
Is there an alternative to ‘made in China’?
PV module prices are at a level we have not seen since last fall – a fact that is mainly down to very high transport costs for container shipments. This is an insight that was shared in this column last month. This month, we discuss whether and how bolstering local value creation through European cell and module production could lead to an end of dependence on Asia and break the upward cost spiral. But first, let’s have a look at the current price trends.
Oct 05, 2021
Solar steps on the gas
Acceleration is the name of the game as the solar industry moves into the year’s final quarter. Global action on climate change is picking up as world leaders prepare to meet in Glasgow early next month for the COP26 negotiations. Reflecting this momentum, BloombergNEF now expects 191 GW of PV to be installed in 2021 – now the mid-scenario of the research company’s solar forecast.
Oct 05, 2021
