Magazine Archive 04-2010

The story of solar electricity: The tenth part of our series with chapters from John Perlin’s book From Space to Earth tells the story of Dominique Campana, who developed the world’s first PV-powered water pump, and Father Bernard Verspieren, who initiated a PV water pumping program for Mali that became the model for the developing world.

Marketing: Customers obtained on the strength of a referral are worth their weight in gold. They save solar contractors acquisition costs and usually have definite interest even before the first conversation. But a referral doesn’t have to be a lucky break. The solar industry in particular is very well suited for targeted referral marketing, and the method works for small companies completely without advertising slogans.

Dear readers, Whether you like it or not, the globalization of the photovoltaics industry and markets is a reality and continues to progress. The question is how to make the best of the situation. China is an especially good example; more than half of Chinese PV firms went bankrupt in the first half of 2009 […]

Module prices: Following good sales figures in February, March was also promising. German buyers are boosting the industry‘s sales: winter is over and prices are falling.

Ardour solar index: Investors are shifting focus from the German FIT shock to increasing global installation demand.

Solar potential: A solar atlas is good not only for climate protection, but also for local business. By measuring roofs with aerial imaging technology, companies determine where exactly photovoltaics arrays make sense. In Germany, mayors and district administrators are vying for a spot on the waiting lists of companies that produce such atlases.

PV roadmap: The solar industry is coming together to become more competitive. Leading German and European cell manufacturers have formed a Crystalline Cell and Manufacturing Group (CTM), producing a joint “PV Roadmap for Crystalline Silicon”. The aim is to increase efficiency and cut costs by eight to 14 percent annually, until 2020.

Silane-free coating: It’s true that solar cells need light to function. But light also causes them to degrade, lowering their efficiencies by between two and six percent in the first few days before they stabilize. Sixtron thinks it has found a solution: a silane-free antireflective coating that costs the same as traditional silane-based coatings, but reduces cells’ initial degradation in light. If it delivers what is promised, the coating could boost cell efficiencies.

Triple green, part 4: The semiconductor cadmium telluride (CdTe) is highly controversial. But CdTe cells are unbeatably cheap and able to be produced virtually without acids or poisons. Although it sounds paradoxical, their production is much greener than some silicon cell plants.

Tracker drives: A crucial component in determining the economic viability of tracker systems are their drives. Only a handful of mechanical engineering companies worldwide, such as GFC AntriebsSysteme GmbH, Coswig, specialize in this field. GFC explains its importance.