Pretty and efficient
Concentrating PV: As the photovoltaics market gets more competitive, new systems that combine solar electricity generation with solar hot water and heating could help reduce cost payback periods. The Center for Architecture Science and Ecology is developing a concentrating PV technology integrated into a glass facade, which also hopes to gain a competitive edge with its gem-like design.
Sharp drops
Ardour solar index: The selling pressure continues, due to mixed fourth quarter results in 2009 and concerns for the second half of 2010.
Sound business environment
Greece: To the relief of many of those involved, the Greek photovoltaics market finally picked up speed in the second half of last year. But the European Commission has now put the Greek budget under strict control, and this financially weakened country, which now has to cut its new borrowings by 75 percent by 2012. Nonetheless, there is hardly anyone who expects the financial crisis to have a negative effect on the Greek solar industry.
Spot market for PV panels:
Modules get cheaper
Module prices: The cuts in feed-in tariffs in Germany, Italy, and France have led manufacturers to reduce module prices. Another reason is a surfeit of solar silicon.
Spring arrival of new PV installations
Solar market overview: Spring is here, with PV installation activity set to revitalize. But the volatility around feed-in tariff changes has been quite disruptive to market developments.
Waiting for the new feed-in legislation
Italy: Despite difficulties at the start, the Italian solar market has undergone rapid development. At the Conferenza dellIndustria Solare Italiana (CIS-IT) the sector showed itself to be sanguine about the future, anticipating a new law that will help fund PV.
The door to the world is open
Interview: pv magazine asked Stuart Brannigan, managing director of Yingli Green Energy Europe, about the international environment in which the China-based company is operating.
The industry is still playing a game of secrecy
Interview: Murphy & Spitz advises investors and manages sizeable investments for them in renewable energies. The company has now released an environmental analysis of manufacturing processes at six PV manufactures. Nicole Vormann, author of the study, sums up the findings: sometimes the companies have serious catching up to do.
Cadmium telluride for everyone
Thin film photovoltaics: As the first photovoltaic equipment supplier worldwide, Roth & Rau has developed a turnkey plant for cadmium telluride modules. In cooperation with a Chinese partner, the enterprise is going to build a reference factory in east Germany. Later, Roth & Rau will sell its plant to solar companies and investors outside of the branch. As such the thin film market will be changeable for a long time to come.
Cadmium telluride for everyone
As the first photovoltaic equipment supplier worldwide, Roth & Rau has developed a turnkey plant for cadmium telluride modules. In cooperation with a Chinese partner the enterprise is going to build a reference factory in east Germany. Later, Roth & Rau will sell its plant to solar companies and investors outside of the branch. As such the thin-film market will be changeable for a long time to come.
