Magazine Archive 07-08 – 2024 | Treasure islands

  The first big wave of solar industry events in 2024 is now in our rearview mirror and it was a big one! In Shanghai, the SNEC PV Power show had outgrown its former location and taken its display of cutting-edge PV technology to an even bigger convention center. The smarter E Europe event filled […]

Residential and utility-scale solar stocks posted double-digit declines in June 2024, with more challenges ahead. A recent US Supreme Court ruling could increase costs for utility-scale businesses while SunPower’s exit from the lease and power purchase agreement (PPA) market poses risks for US dealers. Jesse Pichel, of Roth Capital Partners, explores these key trends.

Shipment volumes are growing in the global solar tracker market as innovation in project development drives demand. Joe Steveni, of S&P Global Commodity Insights, takes a look at the factors shaping the commercial landscape for trackers, from agrivoltaics and undulating terrain to Indian ambition and the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Solar manufacturers were largely focused on market dynamics at the 2024 SNEC solar trade fair in Shanghai, from June 13 to 15, 2024. InfoLink’s Vikey Zhao takes a closer look at the key factors that are now shaping future PV demand.

The quality of solar racking is essential for the structural integrity and longevity of PV projects. Clean Energy Associates (CEA) colleagues Jörg Althaus and Dutt Du discuss some of the most common defects that can derail tracking system quality and make the case for quality control throughout the supply chain.

The mood in June 2024 at Asia’s centerpiece solar exhibition, SNEC, in Shanghai, was more downbeat than in previous years due to a sustained bear market caused by severe overcapacity, writes OPIS analyst Hanwei Wu. In the intervening weeks, solar supply chain prices have largely stabilized due to industry efforts to address the supply imbalance.

Colombia’s Energy and Gas Regulatory Commission (abbreviated to CREG) has announced the results of its February 2024 energy auction under Resolution CREG 101-034A of 2022. The outcomes underscore a strong commitment to solar power in the South American nation.

Blackouts, debt, and corruption allegations have plagued South Africa’s energy sector in recent years but the formation of a new “government of national unity” could prove positive for solar and the wider renewables industry.

The International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), held once a decade by the United Nations, is key for shaping strategy and development plans for such nations. Following the May 2024 conference in Antigua and Barbuda, pv magazine spoke with Rabab Fatima – under secretary-general and high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and SIDS – about the central role of renewable energy in growing SIDS economies and building resilience to climate change and other challenges.

With the world’s islands already experiencing some of the worst effects of climate change, much could be learned from their ability to demonstrate the viability of 100% clean energy systems. Greening the Islands’ Gianni Chiannetta examines the case for two islands in the Caribbean Sea and Indian Ocean.