Magazine Archive 07-2019

In a 100 GW global PV market, things can move quickly. With the right policy settings in place, well-positioned developers can spring into action and install megawatts of capacity seemingly overnight. While causing headaches for analysts, it is a welcome sign to see how quickly PV technology can be deployed — meeting growing energy needs […]

Solar stocks outperformed the broader market in June. Following SNEC — the largest solar conference in the world, in the largest solar market in the world — the Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) gained 9.1% vs. the S&P 500 and Dow, which increased 7.2% and 7.7%, respectively.

… but at the moment all we are seeing in Central Europe is higher temperatures. The current weather on the continent — with humid, stormy heat in the northeast and damp, cold air in the south and southwest — is not exactly the ideal recipe for brisk activity in the PV industry. On the contrary, following a hectic first quarter, a kind of inertia seems to have taken hold. Project planners and installers are reorienting themselves, assessing what the market will bear and feeling out prices.

In the wake of the 2019 SNEC trade show in Shanghai, PV InfoLink chief analyst Corrine Lin delves into the new cell and module technologies that were exhibited at the show.

In 2019, the United States will become the world’s largest market for grid-connected battery energy storage, writes IHS Markit’s Camron Barati, as solar-plus-storage and peaking capacity requirements drive increased procurement.

Vietnam had already successfully commissioned 1.5 GW of utility-scale PV at the end of May this year, and there is no sign of this slowing down, with another 2 GW teed up for June 2019. The breakneck speed in development is making Vietnam a powerhouse in the region in installed capacity, even nipping at the heels of Australia. Rystad Energy’s Minh Koi Le looks at the state of play in the Vietnamese solar market.

While they are often not squarely in the industry’s sights, the number of global markets that are heading toward or beyond the gigawatt level for annual installations continues to grow. Encouragingly, these countries are scattered throughout the world. To provide some insights into some of 2019’s ‘next tier’ markets, pv magazine assembled its global team of editors to find out what can be expected today and in the near future.

The African continent often generates impressive solar news and offers new angles on renewable energy systems and integration. The 21st Africa Energy Forum, held between June 11 and 14 in Lisbon, explored the various ways in which solar is being rolled out across the continent. pv magazine offers a country-by-country review of some of the Sub-Saharan markets discussed at the event.

The United States’ solar market is growing again this year, and it is expected to accelerate further in 2020 and 2021, with heavy construction continuing through the end of 2023. For PV module suppliers, the different market segments require varying strategies for success.

Research on bifacial solar panel performance has moved performance analysis closer to a standardized practice than ever before. More field tests are underway across the United States, and the first waves of data are expected this year. These tests will help standardize a predictive model for bifacial projects that is bankable.