Magazine Archive 12- 2019

How will this century‘s teens be remembered? There are numerous notable, and some regrettable, moments that took place, likely changing the world forever. And while it’s easy in our microcosms to get carried away with the significance of our chosen field, I believe it’s not an exaggeration to say that the achievements of solar PV […]

Solar stocks underperformed the broader market in November. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) decreased 1.4% vs. the S&P 500 and Dow, which increased 1.8% and 2.1%, respectively.

To hear our policymakers talk, the energy transition – an unprecedented, radical and rapid transformation of our energy and economic systems – is now in full swing. So much is being reformed and so much is being accomplished – we can’t possibly do more! But reality paints a completely different picture. Even for the big energy companies, which once leaned on the brakes in the face of change, the current pace of the federal government has become too sluggish. The utilities have started to set the pace for change to prepare quickly for a future in which emissions-free energy will be generated exclusively from renewable sources. With or without climate targets, for the utilities it is a matter of developing a survival strategy in a disruptive market.

On Oct. 29, China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) released cumulative connection data for the first nine months of 2019, when China installed just under 16 GW. This breaks down as 52% distributed generation projects and 48% ground-mount installations. The figure represents a decrease of 54% for the first three quarters compared to 2018. Numbers for […]

Back in June, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) granted Section 201 tariff exemptions to bifacial cells and modules, but reversed the decision on Oct. 28. Two weeks after the reversal, the U.S. Court of International Trade issued a temporary order against the withdrawal of the bifacial exemption. An investigation is now underway, with the first hearing taking place on Dec. 5.

With its trade wars, exclusions from tariffs, reversals of exclusions, and stays of reversals of exclusions – in addition to the repeal of the Clean Air Act and potential changes to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act – the U.S. solar market is anything but boring, writes SPV Market Research’s Paula Mints.

The outlook for growth in Vietnam’s renewables sector is positive, writes Daine Loh, research analyst at Fitch Solutions. And the solar segment is one of the key drivers of this impressive growth. Vietnam still has substantial untapped solar power potential. Coupled with an increasingly supportive regulatory environment, and an expected surge in electricity consumption over the next decade, the country’s renewables sector is poised for a new dawn. And this will bring substantial opportunities for investors.

Even when taken in the context of the growing pessimism that has gripped China’s PV industry regarding 2019 demand since the middle of the year, the latest figures from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) are astonishing. More optimistic forecasts from earlier in the year have been downwardly revised, with installations headed for a “cliff edge” decline that could see demand fall by as much as 50% year on year. So, what exactly has taken place?

By the end of 2018, China was home to around one third of global cumulative PV capacity, with around 175 GW of operational PV systems. In the context of China’s power sector, writes Frank Haugwitz of Asia Europe Clean Energy Advisory, the cumulative installed capacity makes up 9% of the total existing power generation capacity and contributed approximately 2.7% to total electricity generation.

The string of fires that shook up South Korea’s booming energy storage market throughout 2018 brought development to a screeching halt this year. Throughout the lackluster first half of 2019, manufacturers, installers and analysts remained cautiously hopeful that a government investigation into the fires might plant the seed for late-year market growth. However, another outbreak of fires in the months since the conclusion of the probe has shaken industry morale once again, snuffing out any lingering hopes for a quick recovery.