Articles written by Becky Beetz

View article
Loose threads Material sustainability is fast rising up the solar and energy storage agendas. Increasing amounts of renewables, the electrification of sectors like transport, and a critical supply chain situation are just some of the reasons why. In Q4 2022, the UP Initiative is delving into the world of resources to find out what is being done to address these challenges. Of particular interest are steel, aluminum, glass, and precious metals like silver, copper, and cobalt.
Becky Beetz
Sep 06, 2022
View article
ESG in action The 2022 pv magazine Roundtables Europe focused on decarbonization throughout the continent. Linking sustainability to financial performance is a big part of this goal, as the second session, “Sustainability in action, raising the corporate bar,” attested to. During the panel discussion, four experts discussed end of life, circularity, material supply, project development, and the social community, as we approach terawatt solar scale.
Becky Beetz
Jul 18, 2022
View article
Markets & Policy
DuPont Teijin Films: Recycled PV backsheets are technically viable UP Initiative sponsor, DuPont Teijin Films is investigating closed loop recycling processes, specifically looking at how its backsheets can be recovered and used as a raw material for new production. Since 2020, it has been working on industrial trials with customers to offer rPET backsheets across its entire product range, and proof of principal trials to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of a true closed loop recycling process. pv magazine caught up with Steven Davies, EMEA market manager to discover what progress has been made in the last year.
Becky Beetz
Jul 15, 2022
1
View article
Markets & Policy
The weekend read: The stakes are high for solar and green finance Despite worldwide net-zero pledges, a new EU sustainable debt taxonomy, an urgent need to address the climate crisis, and record sustainable debt investments, the world still has a long path to tread to meet its climate goals. Next week at pv magazine’s European Roundtables event and in the third quarter of our UP Initiative, we will focus on green finance. Specifically, what steps have been made in the past two years? Will sustainability-linked bonds gain traction? What supporting policies and standards are in place or required? And what can solar companies do to be ESG-ready?
Becky Beetz
Jun 25, 2022
View article
High stakes Despite worldwide net-zero pledges, a new EU sustainable debt taxonomy, an urgent need to address the climate crisis, and record sustainable debt investments, the world still has a long path to tread to meet its climate goals. In the third quarter of 2022, pv magazine’s UP Initiative will focus on green finance. Specifically, what steps have been made in the past two years? Will sustainability-linked bonds gain traction? What supporting policies and standards are in place or required? And what can solar companies do to be ESG-ready?
Becky Beetz
Jun 24, 2022
View article
Applications & Installations
1 kg balcony solar module you can install yourself German startup We Do Solar is gearing up to deliver its first balcony solar modules to customers in the next three weeks. pv magazine caught up with one of the founders at Intersolar Europe 2022 to learn more about the kit, which features a 1.6 kg flexible solar module people can install themselves, and three innovative business models.
Becky Beetz
May 17, 2022
6
View article
In for the long haul Italian module materials manufacturer Coveme has weathered many a solar storm since the 1980s, when it commercialized its first backsheet. The president and founder of the company, Pier Luigi Miciano, shares some of the lessons learned, how the company embraces sustainability, the importance of re-establishing a European solar value chain, and what’s in store for the future.
Becky Beetz
May 09, 2022
View article
Survival of the fittest Fronius International is an established EU solar manufacturer. The Austrian PV inverter maker has not only remained profitable over the years, but is also a leading sustainability champion – recognized in the 2021 pv magazine Awards when it was named the Publisher’s Pick. As part of the UP Initiative’s focus on EU manufacturing, the Fronius team talks survival strategies and the importance of adopting green production practices.
Becky Beetz
May 06, 2022
View article
03025_European_c-Si_PV_3sp-1
Markets & Policy
The weekend read: EU solar manufacturing – The time is now European solar manufacturing is back on the agenda after over a decade of minimal activity. Ambitious proposals are in place to reactivate a booming industry with investment earmarked, factories planned, sustainability goals announced, and political strategies outlined to support the projected growth of PV installations. Can these plans be realized? The UP Initiative will spend the second quarter delving into this question.
Becky Beetz
Mar 12, 2022
2