BP’s latest green pledge includes fossil fuel assets sell-off
The British energy company has pledged to raise investment in low-carbon energy – including biomass and natural gas-fired hydrogen – tenfold by 2030 and said it would reduce its upstream oil and gas activity 40% over the same period.
The PV world ten years ago – summer series part I
pv magazine editor Pilar Sánchez Molina recollects everyday news from the PV sector of ten years ago as part of a new series. The insights offered will not only bring back memories for the pioneers of that exciting, challenging period but may also offer an idea of where we could be in 2030.
Looking to phosphorous for next-gen batteries
Scientists in the United States have fabricated a working lithium-ion battery using a phosphorous-based anode. The batteries show significantly higher capacity than today’s lithium-ion tech, and could serve as a guideline for future design of high-performance anodes for Li-ion batteries.
Scratching the surface of LeTID
The mechanisms behind light-elevated temperature-induced degradation are still not fully understood, but it is known to cause significant performance losses for modules in the field. Scientists in China are investigating the causes of the phenomenon, and are currently focused on the surface of the materials and the interfaces between the silicon and passivation layers.
Back-Contact’s Move to the Front
Back-contact technologies – metal wrap through (MWT) and interdigitated back contact (IBC) modules – promise high energy yields per square meter and are already making a significant impact in markets for residential rooftop and small commercial PV. In this pv magazine Webinar, we partner with leading materials company DSM for a closer look at how these technologies differ from conventional module designs, and the technology roadmap that could lead to bigger market impacts over the coming years.
Solar’s warranty risk
The warranty risk of solar must be addressed early in the development phase of PV projects, as it is not possible to buy warranty insurance later during the operational phase. Decisions taken by developers at this stage will remain important for the next 25 years. The good news is that an industry standard exists, and it can be easily and cost-effectively applied to most PV projects, writes Ronald Sastrawan from Munich Re.
Understanding the fate of end-of-life modules
Scientists in India have taken a close look at the potential impact of growing volumes of PV waste, and have conducted surveys that suggest a lot more work is needed from manufacturers and policymakers to develop management systems for end-of-life PV products.
The weekend read: Making solar sizzle
What is circular manufacturing, why is it important, and how is it being applied in the solar and storage industries? pv magazine’s UP initiative investigates.
Terawatt scale by 2022
The solar sector is no stranger to breaking records. Perhaps the most impressive figure to emerge from SolarPower Europe’s new ‘Global Market Outlook’ is that the global solar sector will reach terawatt scale by 2022 – just four years after the 500 GW milestone was reached. Michael Schmela from SolarPower Europe sets out the reasoning behind this and other key findings in the report.
High-Density Ground Mount Racking Solution with Significant CAPEX Savings for a Lower LCOE
In this pv magazine Webinar, developed in partnership with Jurchen Technology, we’ll take a closer look at how the system, a high-density low-profile racking solution, can maximize land yield and provide unique value compared to single-axis trackers and other tracking solutions in the ground mount project space. We will also examine some case studies from among the 200 MW the company has installed since launching the system in 2014.
