Magazine Archive 09-2015

U.K. market: Further changes to the U.K.’s solar subsidy landscape threaten to derail an industry that had become one of the world’s most dynamic in recent years. pv magazine examines why these support proposals were enacted, and explores whether the industry can survive – and what it will look like – post-subsidy.

Community solar gardens: U.S. community solar policy planning has been too rigid for too long. Andrew P. Moratzka and Sara A. Bergan from Stoel Rives outline why policy should focus on allowing shared solar projects to scale to a particular “community” in order to facilitate broad access.

Using big data: Data, data everywhere: More sophisticated methods of data harvesting are continually emerging on the tech scene. And with so much to be gleaned, learned and earned from Big Data, the solar industry is rubber-necking for a piece of the action.

Automation and robotics: The automation equipment flooding the market at the moment assures manufacturers speed and cost savings. Whether turnkey or single units, automation has found its place. When it comes to innovation, how quickly can it be automated and integrated into a line?

Interview: The market for building-integrated PV (BIPV) has been anything but stellar. But there is some twinkle to the products Manz is turning out from its innovation line in Germany’s southwest. Bernd Sprecher and Christoph Schmidt spoke to pv magazine about its modules that can now be supplied in various colors, including gold.

Solar pricing update: Renewable Analytics provides the first of a series of updates on wafer, cell and module pricing.

Microcracks: “If I don’t see it, it’s not there.” This rather puerile statement is very likely to apply to microcracks in the PV industry’s beginning stages. Now the solar sector has significantly matured and has the tools to spot and solve this important problem.