Magazine Archive 2011

Italy: This year, some pressure is going to be released in the world’s second-largest PV market. The Italian government will decide on new, reduced feed-in tariffs by April 30. A report from the Conferenza dell’Industria Solare Italia 2011.

Dear readers, A handle on everything!? In Japan we have now seen a brutal example – once again – of how little this is the case when a huge natural disaster is coupled with an exceptionally risky technology. The earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 that shook the ocean floor approximately 380 kilometers northeast of […]

PV Expo Tokyo: The gathering of the majority of the Japanese PV sector, as well as international solar players seeking to widen their network further east of China, saw three days of innovations, ‘Made in Japan’ modules and new tests and certifications. pv magazine found itself in the middle of the hustle and bustle, gaining Japanese insider perspectives.

Module prices: The slight drop in prices for crystalline modules was not enough to increase demand noticeably.

The Ukraine: The Ukraine is trying to avoid mistakes other eastern European countries made in their renewable energy policy. Ukrainian business etiquette might be surprising sometimes, but the country’s long-standing tradition in engineering makes it easy to establish partnerships. A report by Svea Schröder of Enerparc AG, an industrial consultant and EPC provider based in Hamburg, Germany.

The story of solar electricity: The nineteenth and last part of our series of chapters from John Perlin’s book From Space to Earth looks back at how photovoltaics is turning into a major energy producer, allowing everyone the benefits of electricity without doing harm to our home, planet earth.

Australia: The country has been split in its decisions with regards to feed-in tariffs and with unsteady implementations and policies. Some states in the continent are all for solar power and have gone ahead with their own policies while others are still reviewing their strategies. The solar sector has been swayed back and forth. As one of the most active providers of renewable and sustainable energy systems in the country, Austwide Solar’s Michael Rahme helps lay out the facts.

CEO interview: A full service company, which offers a compete downstream package, Photon Energy has successfully placed itself in the European PV market. However, the company, based in the Czech Republic, has been affected by the introduction of the country’s retroactive solar tax. Here, CEO Michal Gärtner talks to pv magazine about the Czech market changes, the company’s survival strategy and how it is eyeing up a number of new markets.