Awarding excellence – 01-2022
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Excerpt from the magazine
Out with the old, in with the new
When module and balance of system prices are high, new installations become less profitable and the focus shifts back to renovating and optimizing existing arrays. Although there are signs that the upward price trend is slowing, Martin Schachinger and Falko Krause say there is still no evidence that prices are stabilizing or falling.
Apr 29, 2022
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pv magazine test: Introduction to LETID testing
Together with our test partners, we have decided to add LETID testing to our set of benchmarking tests for PV modules, as the industry has improved its knowledge about the risks and mitigation of this relatively new mode of PV module degradation. George Touloupas, senior director of solar and storage at CEA, provides an update.
Jan 12, 2022
Expansions in n-type
The past 12 months have been a turbulent time for PV manufacturing. Rapid and impressive developments in technology have been accompanied by price increases up and down the supply chain, and energy shortages weighed on production in the second half of the year. Chinese n-type module manufacturer Jolywood is now pressing ahead with ambitious expansion plans despite the disruption. pv magazine publisher Eckhart K. Gouras and editor Mark Hutchins recently caught up with Cathy Huang, European sales director at Jolywood, to discuss the company’s plans to bring n-type TOPCon technology into mainstream production.
Jan 12, 2022
Indium: sustainability, not supply
The supply of indium, both for layers in silicon solar cells and some thin-film PV technologies, is increasingly seen as a future potential bottleneck that solar and other industries relying on the material will have to manage. Resolving indium supply concerns may be a case of rethinking mining waste and recycling, reports Ian Morse.
Jan 12, 2022
V2G driving grid changes
The uptake of EVs in the years ahead will add up to staggering battery capacity, mostly sitting idle on driveways. The two-way flow of electricity from EV batteries, known as vehicle to grid, could not only enable power systems to rely on intermittent renewables, but could also be the trump card for network operators to respond to grid disturbances. However, there are still a few catches to be worked out, as Marija Maisch explains.
Jan 12, 2022
Liquid light
Once thought of in a niche sense, the solar-water nexus is a rapidly expanding network of applications. They include practical tools capable of solving persistent issues like water scarcity, as well as newly pressing issues like overcoming the water challenge of green hydrogen production. Blake Matich looks at such applications here in Australia and abroad.
Jan 12, 2022
Dealing with dust
Sand and dust are a PV plant operator’s worst nightmare. Performance losses due to soiling, or “the dust effect,” are a cause for innovation among O&M providers, particularly in dry and dusty regions that are otherwise ideal locations for large-scale solar installations. Yazeed Al-Mousa examines the latest robotic cleaning solutions, as well as the software and sensors that help plant operators with the tricky economic decision of when to actually start cleaning.
Jan 12, 2022
On track for cost reduction
Large-format modules have become the industry standard for new utility-scale solar installations, with the conversation now shifting to the optimal wafer size: 210 mm or 182 mm. However, some difficulties persist in switching to the new standard, and a significant portion of the effort has fallen to tracker manufacturers. To gain a better perspective on what has changed, pv magazine’s Tim Sylvia sat down with three of the largest tracker manufacturers – Trina Solar, Nextracker, and Array Technologies – to discuss the common themes of availability, optimization and standardization.
Jan 12, 2022
Archaeologists dig solar
Solar’s benign infrastructure means it might be able to play a role in key areas where archaeological interests need protection. With minimal land disturbance and an installation process that can be adapted to any finds, solar parks may protect valuable sites. But are those claims overblown? Max Hall digs into the issues.
Jan 12, 2022
New tools for fossil fuels
Long thought of as adversaries to renewable energy, fossil fuel assets and infrastructure also present opportunities for solar, its green-hydrogen output, and smart energy storage. Natalie Filatoff reports from Sydney on the opportunities and approaches the miners are taking.
Jan 12, 2022
EU works to expand on-grid renewables in Bangladesh
Off-grid solar has been a major success story in Bangladesh. The next step in the country’s decarbonization journey is the grid integration of larger-scale renewables – a project in which the EU is playing a major role. Syful Islam reports from Dhaka on the programs and progress.
Jan 12, 2022
Slow progress toward a big rooftop goal
A vibrant industry across the Middle East – including manufacturers, wholesalers, and a large number of EPCs and installers – supply decarbonized electricity to meet growing air-conditioning demand, tapping the region’s abundant sunshine. However, progress toward this vision of a distributed-generation solar market segment and industry in the Gulf region has been slow, according to the president of the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA), Ahmed Nada.
Jan 12, 2022
Reality check
Ecstasy to agony summarizes the past year of solar. As technology evolves and materials are optimized every year, we’re witnessing rapid advancements accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy with the implementation of artificial intelligence applications, writes Denisa Fainis, general secretary of the Middle East Solar Industry Association. Real-time data, advanced analytics, and automation are essential to the digitalization of increasingly decentralized power systems.
Jan 12, 2022
Building back better
The United States set new plans for the energy transition and climate change after President Joe Biden took office, setting the nation on a path to achieving its ambitious goals with legislation related to renewable energy deployment. Albert Hsieh, a researcher at PV InfoLink, explores the various factors affecting solar development in the United States and the possible impacts on the PV industry if the Build Back Better Act is passed.
Jan 12, 2022
A perfect storm for PV
The supply chain disruptions that started in the second half of 2020, with the economic opening after Covid-19’s initial waves, reached new highs in 2021. Edurne Zoco, IHS Markit’s executive director for clean technology and renewables, sees five main drivers for the disruptions of the industry throughout 2021. However, forecasts remain bullish, with more than 200GW of new PV installations expected this year.
Jan 12, 2022
Perseverance pays off
With the global pandemic showing few signs of relenting, disruption is commonplace in many parts of the world. Indeed, the dawn of 2022 is taking place against the backdrop of far more unknowns than knowns. Yet despite this, the PV industry is set to achieve another year of rapid expansion. Global installations are widely tipped to exceed 200GW for the year (pp. 12-13), and it will be one in which the milestone of 1 terawatt of installed PV capacity will be surpassed.
Jan 12, 2022
