Author

Michael Fuhs pv magazine

Michael Fuhs pv magazine

Michael Fuhs

Michael heads the pv magazine editorial department. He’s been writing about solar since 2008, and helped build the German platform under his role as editor in chief. Previously, he worked for radio, television and national newspaper titles, and completed a doctorate in physics.

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Articles written by Michael Fuhs

A revolution or a niche product? Power optimizers: Presented two years ago, the first modules with integrated power optimizers are now available, and analysts prophesy a rosy future for them. Are they really worth buying? It depends on each individual case. And statements about those individual cases in which they make a contribution are inconsistent.

Michael Fuhs

Apr 20, 2011

Aging overvalued Degradation: Most yield assessments include possible module degradation in their calculations, yet theres little evidence to show whether modules really lose power as the years go by. Experts at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems have now come to the conclusion that many modules are better than previously thought.

Michael Fuhs

Mar 27, 2011

Nobody believed it Interview: SunPower, the fourth largest maker of crystalline PV modules, holds the world record for cell and module efficiency. Richard Swanson, founder, President and Chief Technical Officer of SunPower, explains how the company got there and what he is planning next.

Michael Fuhs

Mar 27, 2011

How PV+Test works Glossary: PV+Test uses a wide range of measurement results and other module properties in its assessment. The assessment scheme shows what experts think makes up a good module.

Michael Fuhs

Feb 10, 2011

Introducing ?Best of modules Quality assurance: PV+Test is a new quality label to help customers navigate the module market. The first results are promising. Most of the modules that underwent the independent test fulfill the requirements. On the other hand, there are some clear differences in individual categories.

Michael Fuhs

Feb 10, 2011

The greatest capacity leap in PV history Interview CIGS: Up to now there has not been very much production of thin film CIGS modules, although their efficiencies are close to those of polycrystalline modules. Wolfgang Lange, Managing Director for Europe of Solar Frontier, explains why this may change next year. His company will soon be manufacturing cadmium and lead free modules in a gigawatt factory.

Michael Fuhs

Dec 14, 2010

Outsourcing and streamlining CEO-Interview: Solon, one Europes largest PV manufacturers, experienced a difficult economic situation at the beginning of the year. Chief Executive Officer, Stefan Säuberlich, talks about the problems that the Berlin-headquartered company solved and how he advertises the companys products.

Michael Fuhs

Nov 17, 2010

Collecting seconds Reducing the cost of inverters: If cost pressure on the industry goes up, inverters also have to get cheaper. Werner Kupka of the Solme Deutschland consultancy explains how video analysis can boost the ergonomics of their final assembly and raise the efficiency by 50 percent of an operation, which makes up almost a third of the value created in inverter production.

Michael Fuhs

Sep 16, 2010

Bankruptcy insurance Interview: Small and midsize module manufacturers often are left sitting on their products when banks do not have enough confidence in them. Steffen A. Müller of Trust, a risk management and insurance broker, explains why his firm is focusing on this problem, and why bankers do not openly talk about the issue. While his explanations specifically refer to the legal situation in Germany, there are similar issues abroad.

Michael Fuhs

Sep 16, 2010

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