High time for a masterplan – 06-2023
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Sponsored: Pylontech celebrates 10 years of dedication in energy storage
This year sees Pylontech celebrate its 10th anniversary and become the No.1 global residential battery energy storage provider, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. Geoffrey Song, vice president of Pylontech, discusses the legacy of the company and its future.
Jun 09, 2023
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KAUST joins the 30% club
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) set a world record in April with a perovskite-silicon tandem cell efficiency of 33.2%, making it the third entity to push the technology past 30%. Stefaan De Wolf, KAUST Professor of Material Science and Engineering, speaks to pv magazine about the achievement and the latest advances in tandem cell tech.
Jun 09, 2023
Keeping Ukraine’s lights on
The first half of 2023 has seen a revival in Ukraine’s solar market as some plants resumed operations, including in recently liberated territories. Demand is also picking up among industrial consumers that wish to be less dependent on the common energy grid in case outages return, reports Ian Skarytovsky.
Jun 09, 2023
New start, new rules
The Invesco Solar ETF, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the MAC Global Solar Energy Index, under-performed the S&P 500 in May and out-performed the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). Jesse Pichel, of Roth Capital Partners, attributes this to rising interest rates and new rules that are causing a residential PV slowdown in California.
Jun 09, 2023
UP: VOC control for cleaner modules
While solar energy offers numerous environmental benefits, it is essential to understand the potential pollution associated with the solar panel production process. Anoosheh Oskouian, president and CEO of Ship and Shore Environmental, sheds light on a process that can reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in PV module production.
Jun 09, 2023
Cash pours in to rooftop solar
The growth of European rooftop solar continues this year, with innovative companies raising capital to develop the market. It’s an encouraging trend with the potential to accelerate rooftop solar adoption. pv magazine correspondent Valerie Thompson takes a closer look.
Jun 09, 2023
UP: To the balconies!
More people and businesses are recognizing the potential of solar in urban settings and, more importantly, they are finding ways to harness it. The use of balcony spaces for solar is shaping up to be an urban, clean-energy revolution, says Karolina Attspodina, co-founder and CEO of WeDoSolar.
Jun 09, 2023
Solar resistance
Ukrainians have endured Russia’s winter onslaught on their national energy infrastructure and are now turning to solar to become more resilient in the event that war is raging when the snows return. Parliament is helping, with plans for legislation to incentivize PV systems on homes, schools, clinics, and other infrastructure, as Ian Skarytovsky explains.
Jun 09, 2023
Making rooftop solar safe
Commercial and industrial (C&I) solar rooftops are becoming widespread as businesses strive to reduce carbon footprints and electricity bills. The industry has suffered fires and faces other safety risks, however. Clean Energy Associates (CEA) has performed safety audits on more than 600 commercial PV rooftops and has found safety issues in 97% of them, report Ankil Sanghvi and Chris Chappell.
Jun 09, 2023
Sponsored: Aiko sets trends in European solar industry
AikoSolar was initially known as a PERC cell manufacturer but it has since moved to the top of the rankings for global PV cell shipments and has turned its focus to all back contact (ABC) technology. The company is quickly becoming a top player for ABC modules in the industry, with a research institute and a logistics center in Europe.
Jun 09, 2023
pv magazine Award: Highlights
The first batch of entries is in. Here are some of the best from the modules, balance of system (BOS), projects, battery energy storage system (BESS), and inverters award categories. Our expert juries have not yet picked any winners and we are taking a summer break from receiving new entries. There will be another chance to enter in September and the winners will be announced at the end of the year.
Jun 09, 2023
Waiting is not an option
In May 2022, PV experts from around the world convened in Germany for the third Terawatt Workshop. Almost one year later, takeaways from discussions at the workshop – combined with a wide-ranging review of research on decarbonization pathways, energy demand projections, and the state of the art in PV technology – have led to the conclusion that 75 TW of installed solar capacity by 2050 is a realistic global target. More than 50 leading PV industry figures recently outlined the opportunity and the challenges that solar will face in reaching this goal.
Jun 09, 2023
Independence from imports
Reshoring the PV supply chain is as important to European energy security as ending reliance on Russian gas, because solar is a central pillar of the continent’s clean energy transition. Yet a domestic skills shortage, a lack of industrial facilities, and weak financial support have left the European Union reliant on imports from China, says Javier Sanz, a thematic leader for renewables at EU research body EIT InnoEnergy.
Jun 09, 2023
Trust the forecast
Trust-PV is a four-year, EU-funded project featuring 21 solar value chain partners who aim to improve the performance of PV projects. French business Reuniwatt has published the ‘Forecasting for advanced operational stability’ study to improve stability at the point of grid connection. Marion Lafuma, business development manager for Reuniwatt, looks at its key findings.
Jun 09, 2023
Unify data to reduce complexity
The volume and complexity of data generated by renewables sites is growing, as are the regulatory requirements regarding its collection and delivery. Thomas Andersen, VP of renewables for US-based engineer Emerson, explains how modern asset management systems can deliver better functionality and management to project operators and owners.
Jun 09, 2023
Europe shines in time of crisis
European solar is on a tear. High electricity prices have spooked consumers who are looking to shore up supply and governments have acted on decarbonization goals to provide clear support for solar development. Remarkably, not only is this big marketplace growing swiftly, it is also expanding far and wide.
Jun 09, 2023
UP: PV and biodiversity
Solar power generation has a unique opportunity to be more than just energy infrastructure. In the third quarter of 2023, pv magazine’s UP Initiative will focus on how solar can deliver better environmental and wildlife benefits. The goal is to examine best practices and understand supportive policy and infrastructure, as well as the role that solar power and energy storage can play in nature conservation and ecosystem restoration.
Jun 09, 2023
pv magazine test: April 2023 results
We are pleased to present the latest batch of energy yield results from the outdoor test field in Xi’an, China. We look at the data from April 2023, along with analysis from George Touloupas, the senior director of technology and quality at Clean Energy Associates.
Jun 09, 2023
¡Hola! Solar + Storage España arrives
RE+ Events and pv magazine hosted the first edition of Solar + Storage España on May 10 and 11. The event brought together thought leaders from the Spanish solar and energy storage industries to discuss key topics such as European funding, manufacturing support, project permitting, and repowering.
Jun 09, 2023
IRA equals consolidation, diversification
The funds flowing from the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could prompt solar installers to diversify their offerings to homeowners. The IRA may also lead to consolidation among solar equipment manufacturers, writes Jessica Fishman, a clean energy marketing professional.
Jun 09, 2023
Known unknowns
Historic meteorological data is typically used to assess solar farm yield and secure project finance, but with climate change beginning to affect every aspect of society, past weather data may no longer be a reliable guide. Everoze Partner Nastasia Pacaut looks at how PV projects can be future-proofed in a changing climate.
Jun 09, 2023
Sponsored: TrinaTracker: On track for the future
Juan Manuel Gómez García, chief executive of the TrinaTracker business unit for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), discusses the main drivers of demand and how the company is strategizing development for the near future, given its stellar growth in the solar tracker market segment.
Jun 09, 2023
European manufacturing set for growth
The European Union’s proposed Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) marks a departure for the bloc, writes Jason Sheridan, a senior research analyst for S&P Global. It would require approximately €15 billion ($16.3 billion) of investment across the European solar supply chain and could represent a reshaping of global PV production.
Jun 09, 2023
It was the best of times…
With the dislocation and disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, ongoing climatic upheavals as the result of global warming, and the crisis posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the opening part of this decade has been tumultuous. And yet, the solar and energy storage industries have thrived. What’s more, at the midpoint of 2023, the solar […]
Jun 09, 2023
