Magazine Archive 2014

Storage market: The grid-connected energy storage market will increase from 340 MW in 2013 to more than 6 GW in 2017, according to IHS. The US is set to lead the sector.

PV+Test 2.0: The Hanwha module that had to overcome the new, more stringent PV+Test test criteria scored well when it came to PID resistance, the warranty terms and conditions and documentation. There were two weak points that the manufacturer has already responded to.

Cables & Connectors: PV solar cables and connectors are becoming increasingly safer and more resistant to environmental elements causing material degradation, while BOS architecture is offering these components ever more shelter from the storm.

Mexico: The output of Mexican oil and gas facilities is in decline, new crude oil deposits cannot be explored because of outdated technology, and electricity prices for the industry are 25 – 40% higher than in the United States, the country’s key trading partner. With this backdrop, a reform of the energy sector was inevitable, according to Sebastian Brenner and Mariangela Zerpa Dreyer of Rödl & Partner, an integrated firm for audit, legal, management and tax consulting.

Battery storage: 2013 saw the emergence of a number of battery storage solutions on to the PV market. Inverters are also being produced that are “battery ready.” These battery systems can offer households the opportunity to utilize more of the PV electricity produced on their roof. And new research is showing how batteries can also support electricity grids at the same time.

Smart city: On one of its former factory sites southwest of Toyko, Panasonic is taking the lead in a project to build a smart and sustainable city. The Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town is designed to be home for approximately 34,000 people in a community equipped with integrated information and energy technologies. The aim is to deliver a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions and provide natural disaster resilience, with PV, lithium-ion batteries and smart home energy management systems at its core.

Japan: The Basic Policy Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has compiled and released a draft of a new energy policy. Reflecting these “Opinions on the new Basic Energy Plan”, the government plans to approve a new “Basic Energy Plan” in a Cabinet meeting. A report by Izumi Kaizuka of RTS Corporation.

Polysilicon: Jade Jones, Solar Analyst at GTM Research, looks ahead to what the year 2014 may bring for the polysilicon industry, in terms of both pricing and the sector’s wider outlook.

PV EXPO 2014: In what promises to be the largest-scale show since its launch in 2008, this year’s PV EXPO & PV System EXPO in Tokyo will place key focus on Japanese business prospects and the country’s relationship with international markets.

Module prices: Prices have hardly changed over the turn of the year. Will there still be a solar winter and, if so, how long will it last?