Magazine Archive 07-2011

Mozambique: On May 17, the Mozambican Parliament approved the National Programme for New and Renewable Energy for 2011-2025, following the launch of the draft policy in 2009. The government is encouraging investors to explore renewable energy sources in the country in order to assure the electrification of rural communities and reduce the costs of the expansion of the national electricity grid.

Lead times: Demand during May and June increased decidedly, and manufacturing lines ordered in 2010 are being taken out of the boxes.

Desertec: At the conference “Desert Power for the People” concerns were raised over Desertec’s possible impact in the Middle Eastern and North African region. Could this be the swan song for the dream of a solar Sahara? The organization disagrees.

Interview: He’s the one that brought photovoltaics to sunny Spain. Under Antonio Luque’s stewardship, the Institute of Solar Energy at the Madrid Polytechnic University (IES/UPM) became one of the world’s leading academic institutions in photovoltaics. John Perlin spoke with Antonio Luque in Madrid.

Dear readers, Is it worth regretting the passing of one’s youth? Certainly not in the case of photovoltaic technology. With its coming of age, the really exciting times for solar electricity are just getting started. And the amount of time required before the industry reaches maturity is already in sight. This was an impression underscored […]

California: What does California’s climate plan mean for photovoltaics? At a time when the U.S. seems far from a national strategy to promote renewable energy, with Congress holding hearings on the supposed flaws of global-warming science, California is moving forward alone.

Sustainability: For the solar industry, which produces “green” products, sustainability is hugely relevant. But do module manufacturers, for example, which happily promote their products’ environmental credentials, adopt sustainable production principles? A number of companies are investigating this topic. Here, pv magazine looks at the evaluation methods, their effectiveness and their industry relevance.

Intersolar Awards: It was not just a parade of big names at the Intersolar Awards 2011, which took place in Munich, Germany as part of the trade fair. Newer names, a more global representation, and companies that came over from other industries were on the nomination list. Solar Promotion and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe (FWTM), with the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) presented the Intersolar Award ceremony.

Silver: As a raw material of the contact grid, silver is the highest cost factor after the wafer in the manufacture of solar cells. Given the extreme price hikes this year alone, replacing the precious metal with industrial metals such as copper is becoming increasingly important. Yet this on its own will scarcely be enough to protect the industry from rising raw material costs.