Magazine Archive 2015

EU PVSEC: From PV poster exhibition to towering trade show, the EU PVSEC has evolved over time. In 2016 it will take another bold step, becoming collocacted with Intersolar Europe in Munich. So it is no surprise in Hamburg this year there was the feeling of it being a last hurrah.

Chile: The development of solar in Chile has surprised and delighted in equal measure. Growth is strong and there is a major focus on the technical challenge of successfully installing systems. Daniel Barandalla and Ragna Schmidt-Haupt of DNV GL highlight quality ensuring measures that reduce the uncertainties of the financial returns of a PV project during the development, financing and operations phase in a climatic and environmentally outstanding region.

Chinese downstream market: From motor vehicle component suppliers to chemical companies, diverse players are entering China’s downstream PV sector. But will macro-economic forces sour plans of a diverse array of companies looking to move into the PV power plant business in China? Vincent Shaw reports from Shanghai.

NYSE Bloomberg Solar Energy Index: Flagging economic growth in China and soft second quarter reports drive the largest monthly decline registered so far in 2015.

Vahid Fakhfouri: Meyer Burger Debate: During last month’s EU PVSEC event, representatives from leading solar simulator providers met to address the development of new standards for the flashing of bifacial cells. However, it is not the only technological challenge facing these equipment providers, who in some ways hold the key as to what cell and module manufacturers can charge for the output from their production lines. pv magazine brought together Vahid Fakhfouri, the head of R&D at Meyer Burger’s Technology and Product Center for Measurement Technologies (Pasan), Klaus Ramspeck, the head of Product Development at Halm, and Torsten Brammer, the cofounder and CEO at Wavelabs to discuss this and more in the second part of a special series of equipment roundtable discussions. Klaus Ramspeck: Halm Torsten Brammer: Wavelabs

Taiwanese market: Taiwan’s role in the global solar industry has been largely shaped by its technical expertise, particularly in solar cell, module and wafer production. However, as the global landscape shifts, the country is pushing into downstream solar installations and expanding its FIT.

Off-grid business models: From pay-as-you-go to art projects and aspirations to become the Amazon of Africa, off-grid developers are innovating as fast in the area of business models as they are with technology. pv magazine speaks with the innovators and identifies some of the strategies that are electrifying the African continent.

Trade it in: As the summer draws to a close, there is a slight upturn in the market, but also in the camps of supporters and opponents of trade restrictions.

SPI 2015: A fast-paced, exciting solar show requires fast-paced, exciting reporting to ensure readers are kept abreast of the latest news, speeches and presentations, which is exactly what Paula Mints, Founder and Chief Market Research Analyst, SPV Market Research, delivered for pv magazine at this year’s event. Here are some of the highlights from Mints’ live reporting.