Buy now, pay later
Solar leasing: The success of solar leases in the U.S., a kind of residential solar power purchase agreement, continues to impress and a range of non-conventional financial products and initiatives are delivering significant funding for PV. The securitization of PV installations is now appearing as the next development along these lines. pv magazine investigates whether this innovation represents a good deal or will end up giving PV a bad name?
Checked decline
Module prices: Another sharp decline is not expected. Nevertheless, prices continued to drop with the exception of a-Si thin film modules.
Chinese tiers draw together on price
Factory gate prices: Module price declines continue, but the rate appears to be slowing. For the first time, Chinese tier-1, 2 and 3 suppliers are all in the same price region.
Consume it yourself
Self-consumption: At a time when government subsidy programs like FITs are declining or disappearing at a startling pace, the self-consumption of PV can become an important new selling point for installations. But are there unintended legal or economic impediments to generating your own PV power, and consuming it yourself?
Controlling edge sharpness using Rz
Screen printing: Continuously finer lines and spaces in printed electronics cause higher requirements on resolution and edge sharpness of the screen printed line work. Lines with improved edge sharpness allow increasing the line and space density of electrical circuits. Additionally, fingers with improved edge sharpness will increase the yield of PV-cells. Wim Zoomer, member of the Academy of Screen Printing Technology, elaborates how this is done.
Eindhoven leads thin film R&D
R&D: Thin film PV technologies have developed independently of each other but by encompassing the different disciplines of CIGS, thin film silicon and organic photovoltaics, the Solliance initiative is paving the way for PV technology that will outperform todays technology and reduce production costs.
Elusive profitability
Ardour Solar Index: Fundamentals weigh despite countervailing verdict on Chinese PV exports. Subsidy cuts obscure European market visibility.
Energy storage supports island grids
Energy storage solutions: A growing number of islands, especially in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Southern Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, are planning for renewable energy sources to provide over 30 percent of their energy mix. Safts Michael Lippert highlights the solutions available.
Even shooting stars can fall
Dear readers, In the summer of 2007 a new pioneering spirit prevailed in a new industrial area in Frankfurt (Oder), near the German-Polish border. There were sounds of popping champagne corks and red carpets were rolled out for politicians from Washington and Berlin. Television cameras focused on the first module factory in Germany by First […]
Global feed-in tariff overview
Feed-in tariffs: The drastic cuts to the incentives in Germany have been passed into law, with the cuts to rooftop and BIPV having already taken effect and the cuts to ground-mounted installations looming. Japan is also enacting changes to its incentive scheme and Ontario recently conducted a two year review of its scheme.
