Innovation shines in challenging time
Records tumble but not always for the right reasons. Twenty twenty-three has been another banner year for the solar industry and the numbers speak for themselves. Optimistic solar deployment forecasts tip global installations to exceed 400 GW in 2023. In an outcome that would’ve seemed impossible only a handful of years ago, a single […]
Lackluster performance for US solar stocks
The Invesco Solar ETF (exchange-traded fund) TAN continued on its negative trajectory in October 2023, significantly under-performing relative to the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). Jesse Pichel, of Roth Capital Partners, explores some of the latest developments in the US market.
Module rollercoaster takes another dip
As solar module prices continue to fall, pvXchange.com founder Martin Schachinger predicts a resurgence in demand in the near term and suggests how the European market could be better protected from future volatility.
The writing’s on the wall for p-type
The shift from positively doped, “p-type” to negatively doped, “n-type” solar technology has sparked manufacturing expansion, says S&P Global’s Jessica Jin.
Competition heats up
Oversupply is hitting some solar manufacturers hard but grid constraints and labor shortages are unlikely to hold the solar industry back in 2024.
Cracking cell defect detection
After years of improving quality standards, solar cell cracking appears to be on the rise again, perhaps due to new manufacturers entering the sector. Clean Energy Associates’ (CEA) senior engineering manager Claire Kearns-McCoy considers ways to stop the rot.
Snub me tender
The Indian government has introduced a mechanism to prevent utilities from cherry-picking the most attractive solar power prices from publicly tendered projects. Vinay Rustagi, a senior director for consultancy Crisil, says that the change could result in utilities snubbing central government tenders as they may find it preferable to conduct their own procurement.
New leadership for a new solar era
As it gears up its advocacy efforts toward the COP28 climate summit, the Global Solar Council (GSC) has announced the appointment of Sonia Dunlop as its new chief executive officer (CEO). With a career spanning the PV industry, renewables policy, and climate change finance, Dunlop hopes to grow the GSC and strengthen its role in driving solar power growth.
Famine to feast: China’s solar market in 2023
China’s solar industry rebounded in 2023 after years of pandemic-related sluggishness. As the year draws to a close, Vincent Shaw looks back at key highlights of 2023 and considers the prospects for 2024.
Solar slows but heat pumps set to grow
UK-based solar distributors are grappling with module oversupply just like their European peers, but the British market also has characteristics distinct from the European Union. To get the inside track, pv magazine spoke with Jamie Vaux, commercial director for Midsummer Energy.
