Spot market for PV panels: Hope for new markets
Module prices: The spot market ended the first quarter of 2011 with new price drops.
Testing the international waters
France: Through a new cap for newly installed PV systems, the French government limits the sales volume of modules in the French market to a total annual capacity of 500 megawatts a regulation which is not welcomed by every French module manufacturer.
The glass is more than half full
Turkey: At the end of last year the Turkish government adopted a law on subsidies for renewable energies. According to the new law the subsidy for solar electricity will amount to a total of 13.3 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. However, the subsidy is not regarded as huge breakthrough. Nevertheless, an increasing number of solar companies are setting up business in the country, as evidenced by the Solarex trade exhibition.
The power flower
Offshore renewable energy: Offshore renewable energy platforms are a common sight, especially the speed at which the wind energy sector has developed and the platforms that have popped up far out at sea. Solar energy has not gone that far offshore yet but developments are emerging. Hann-Oceans Hexifloat is an offshore solution that promises to tie in four of natures power suppliers, solar, tidal, wave and wind, with solar leading the way.
The recall
Module replacement: First Solar brought thin film modules on the market which showed a significant drop in performance after just a few weeks. They are currently being replaced, which is a test of nerves for the company, the installers and plant operators.
The second edition of the PV Roadmap
Roadmap for PV: Industry collaboration is a must to reduce costs. The Roadmap, a product of the last twelve months, paves the way for this.
The sum of small parts
Solar roof tiles: Small, building-integrated solar modules which resemble tiles have been niche products for a long time. Their high cost of manufacture and assembly has always hindered their entry onto the market, but manufacturers keep trying their luck with new products all the same.
Thin film takes the steering wheel
Thin film: The ultimate success factor for any PV technology to be competitive is the value of electrons it delivers. The most common determining metric here is levelized cost of electricity, calculated based on the present value of all costs required to produce electricity from a photovoltaic panel and also on the present value of expected energy production over the life of the PV system. Oerlikon Solars Chris OBrien elaborates.
Frames, clamps or backrails?
Securing thin film modules: The way modules are secured plays a key role in the mechanical stresses generated in them and likely resultant glass breakage, as has been shown in several studies by glass makers and thin film module producers.
The key factor is market proximity
Interview: In the middle of March, First Solar announced construction of a new module factory in Mesa, Arizona. In an interview, President Bruce Sohn describes the background of the project and the prospects for growth on the U.S. market.
