Magazine Archive 11 – 2023 | Tipping point

As the world’s solar manufacturers continue to ramp up production at an eye-watering speed, a cell connection technique up to 10 times faster than the industry standard holds rich promise, according to Keven Tremblay, from Canadian laser process specialist Laserax.

Trina Solar has taken steps in recent years to ensure that PV modules imported into the United States market comply with all regulations, right along its supply chain.

Taking a rigorous approach to inspection is crucial across the energy storage supply chain. Chi Zhang and George Touloupas, of Clean Energy Associates (CEA), explore common manufacturing defects in battery energy storage systems (BESS) and how quality-assurance regimes can detect them.

Chinese investment plays no small role in efforts to establish a European battery manufacturing ecosystem but as Europe’s gigafactory pipeline expands, so does the number of production plants at risk of being delayed, scaled down, or cancelled.

With net metering waning in the United States and utilities looking for ways to affordably bolster their electricity networks, the US Department of Energy (DOE) is trying to support virtual power plant (VPP) deployment. Solar industry veteran Jigar Shah, known as the father of the solar power purchase agreement, is now leading the charge at the department’s Loans Programs Office.

The collapse of module prices in 2023 has fueled speculation around just how much PV supply is held in European warehouses. How big the stockpile is depends on who you ask but such a broad spectrum of opinion shows there is room for improvement in how the solar industry shares data, argues PV market researcher Rolf Heynen.

Pierre Verlinden, chief executive officer, Amrock Pty Ltd.