Magazine Archive 2015

Inverters: The fragmented, cost-competitive PV inverter industry demands of companies a forward-thinking, flexible approach that places the needs of the customer first. Javier Coloma Calahorra, general director of Spanish inverter supplier Ingeteam, tells pv magazine that a multi-pronged approach to growth is the key to success.

Solar-powered irrigation: Far from being a dry topic, the world of off-grid water irrigation is multi-faceted and endlessly fascinating, with solar PV’s role as potential disruptor proving both encouraging and frustrating in equal measure, finds pv magazine’s off-grid editor, Peter Carvill.

Monitoring in China: Dining at China’s top PV table has been a one-course affair for the past few years. However, the O&M sector is set to deliver a lavish second course, and it is an industry that promises a great deal of meal tickets for a wide array of specialists.

NYSE Bloomberg Solar Energy Index: SolarCity’s energy storage launch augments investor interest, with 2015 volumes looking positive.

Inverters: Having spent years building expertise and sales channels in domestic markets, many of the leading inverter suppliers from China and Japan have begun to branch out overseas. With their home markets largely secure from foreign infiltration, do these would-be inverter giants have what it takes to capture global revenues in the same way as their fellow cell and module counterparts?

Trade dispute: For the first time ever a large trade group, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, has taken a stand on phasing out minimum prices for Chinese PV imports. However, it is still uncertain whether this will come to pass. EU Prosun has already submitted more complaints to the European Commission and has announced that it will call for an expiry review this fall.

PV manufacturing: With big brands, high levels of exposure and slick press outfits, tier one module manufacturers invariable hog the solar limelight. But beyond the well-known names, tier two and three manufacturers play a crucial role. But what position do they find themselves in as the market emerges from its module glut? Clean Energy Associates’ Andy Klump finds a shifting landscape.

Those were the days, my friend. There was a time in the European PV industry when it seemed that the good times would roll on forever. Component prices were high, as were subsidies, and it seemed that everywhere you turned someone was making money. The parties were lavish and, so too, were the budgets. But […]

Quality in aging arrays: Finding the right quality is an issue that comes up repeatedly for anyone who builds PV plants, regardless of size. In preparation for the round table discussion on the topic, “Quality in Rooftop PV” at Intersolar Europe in Munich, pv magazine has compiled the responses of more than 200 experts on their approaches to quality and experiences with customers and investors.