Surprises guaranteed
Industry ranking: No photovoltaics sector is developing as dynamically as the field of project development. Companies that were practically unknown last year are suddenly shooting stars, whereas others remain outside of the public spotlight, fine-tuning their success and not saying too much about their strategy.
Top quality by fully automatic means
Automated inspection: KUKA Systems GmbHs Bernd Richter of Sales and Project Engineering & Energy and Josephin Schmidt of Marketing & Communications explain how the companys systems monitor and assure quality of solar modules.
What robotics and automation ought to be
Robotics and automation: Capital investment savings of 23 percent and output per square meter gains of 30 percent would make most PV manufacturers sit up and take notice. But how can gains like this be achieved? pv magazine investigates a number of approaches to bringing about such gains for PV module manufacturers.
Betting on the bear
Solar shares: The crash of renewable energy shares on the stock exchange is not only attributable to the financial crisis and the economic difficulties besetting the industry. For months professional stock brokers have also perpetuated the fall in prices for solar shares through short selling.
Canned sunshine
Energy storage systems: Europes leading utilities are investing in new storage capacities to be able to utilize more solar and wind energy, and at the same time cope with the phasing out of feed-in tariffs. An overview of storage technologies that support photovoltaic energy.
Chinas nuclear program after Fukushima
China: When a national feed-in tariff (FIT) was announced in July 2011, some believed a lack of detail and transparency could undermine the programs effectiveness. Seven months on, though some of the details remain opaque, China as a PV end market is showing signs of rapid expansion. pv magazine investigates the global impact of Chinas FITs and the ways foreign companies can access the market.
Concealed in the roof
In-roof systems market overview: In-roof systems are still a niche item. Yet the industry is coming out with surprisingly sophisticated developments , including concealing the frames. In some systems, only the module glass remains visible.
Consolidation continues
Ardour Solar Index: The index closes 2011 near the 52-week low. Taiwanese component manufacturers post double-digit stock price gains.
Customized solutions are the key word
PV Japan: Despite the strong support for renewable energy following the tragedy in Fukushima, Japan is not abandoning nuclear power. But industry experts that visited PV Japan in December 2011 expect a Japanese solar boom in 2012.
Customized solutions are the key word
PV Japan: Despite the strong support for renewable energy following the tragedy in Fukushima, Japan is not abandoning nuclear power. But industry experts that visited PV Japan in December 2011 expect a Japanese solar boom in 2012.
