Predicting the solar future
The International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics (ITRPV) helps to predict future solar cell and module technology trends and is influential in directing research funding and technology investment. Scientists in Australia and the United Kingdom have analyzed ITRPV predictions over the past decade, highlighting the difficulties of forecasting PV trends.
Shining a light on module quality
With solar panel prices tumbling, project developers will need to be vigilant about quality. Comprehensive product testing could be a vital safeguard as PV manufacturers struggle to retain their margins, according to Everoze’s Martin Laing and Gauthier Dambrine.
Factories go vertical
Highly integrated, gigawatt-scale solar factories are springing up in India, the United States and Europe, as well as in China, reports Valerie Thompson. The drivers vary by location but the goal of ensuring a sustainable supply chain for the next terawatt of PV growth is universal.
Thin prospects
The production of PV ingots and wafers remains the most highly concentrated of all the production stages in the silicon solar supply chain. Yet efforts to re-establish production in Europe and the United States are not for the faint-hearted.
pv magazine test: November 2023 results
George Touloupas, senior director of technology and quality at Clean Energy Associates (CEA), analyzes the November 2023 energy yield results from the outdoor testing field in Xi’an, China. He also looks at some upgrades to the rooftop system as new modules featuring the latest negatively doped, “n-type” technology join the program.
Caps off to Polish PV
The new year has brought major change for clean power generators in Poland. Piotr Mrowiec, of legal company Rödl and Partner, considers two developments that, along with direct-line and cable-pooling legislation, could affect Polish PV because auction prices continue to rise and a clean energy price cap has been removed.
Together toward sustainable solar
Solar companies are keen to take action on sustainability, whether that means reducing energy consumption in manufacturing, adding wildlife-protection measures to a project plan, or taking responsibility for recycling once a project reaches the end of operations. Many businesses are hesitating, however, due to a lack of clear guidance and measurable standards for what actually constitutes sustainable practice, as Mark Hutchins found out at the Sustainable Solar Europe show, which was held in Brussels in December 2023.
Final thought: Flexing solar’s muscles
Daniel Fuchs, chief customer officer at the International Battery and Energy Storage Alliance (IBESA).
