Magazine Archive 2014

NYSE Bloomberg Solar Energy Index: Policy headlines impart uncertainty on global volume growth. Asian market leaders make statements regarding subsidies.

Retroactive FIT changes in Europe: Feed-in tariffs have been the cornerstone of promoting renewable energy in Europe. Recently, however, European governments have turned hostile towards them and some have cut tariffs for renewable energy projects retroactively. What are the latest developments, and what is realistically possible to expect regarding tariff subsidies in Europe?

From his adoptive home in the U.K., American author Bill Bryson made the observation that Europeans are particularly good at living up to their stereotypes. To illustrate, in his book Neither Here Nor There, he published the following joke: “If Europe was in heaven then the French would be the cooks, the British the police, […]

Central America: While often overlooked in favor of Chile, Mexico and Brazil, Central America’s solar markets are growing rapidly. Like the rest of Latin America the region has its own set of challenges and complications, but strong market drivers ensure a bright future.

Corporate funding report: Solar funding is reaching new heights towards the end of the year. Raj Prabhu, CEO and cofounder of Mercom Capital Group, reviews the financing activities of the third quarter of 2014.

Spain: Sönke Schlaich of the international law firm Rödl & Partner reviews the retroactive reduction of feed-in tariffs in Spain and the guarantees protecting investor rights under the Energy Charter Treaty and comes to the conclusion that investors have a chance to seek indemnity.

Interview: Minh Le, the director of the Solar Energy Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) of the US Department of Energy (DOE), spoke with pv magazine at the SPI trade show about the SunShot Initiative. EERE’s SunShot Initiative was announced in February 2011 to make solar competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade.

U.K. solar: The U.K. is currently Europe’s largest solar PV market and is expected to become the fourth biggest in the world by the end of the year. Alongside a domestic policy shift, European policy changes concerning renewable power subsidies and continuing PV price falls are compelling British solar stakeholders to question the future of the PV sector.

Germany: Anyone involved with the German solar industry will hardly be surprised by low figures for newly installed capacity. The crucial question, however, is: What will next year bring?

Battery energy storage: U.S. Companies are exploring how to create revenue streams from energy storage and services attached to providing stored energy to utilities, commercial, industrial and residential customers, and vehicle charging stations.