Magazine Archive 2015

Mounting systems: When installing ground mounted solar systems in Japan, developers must face a set of challenges almost unique to the country, including tough terrain, adverse weather and a demand for only the very highest standards.

US antidumping and countervailing duties: Years of uncertainty lie ahead in the US-China-Taiwan PV products trade dispute. Gary W. Glisson, a partner of the US business law firm Stoel Rives LLP, gives an overview of the proceedings.

Backsheet trends: Jolywood’s recent acquisition of Italy’s Filmcutter can potentially boost both the fluoropolymer and PET-based backsheet industries globally, but beyond M&A growth, what other trends are driving the development – and attractiveness – of the backsheets sector?

NYSE Bloomberg Solar Energy Index: The index receives support from China and India. Top-weighted Hanergy drives positive performance.

India market update: Indian solar installations totaled 883 MW in 2014. Raj Prabhu, CEO and cofounder of the clean energy research and consulting firm Mercom Capital, forecasts a record year for 2015.

APRD: Solar energy is just the starting point for the clean tech investments of a Hong Kong billionaire. Götz Fischbeck, CEO of Smart Solar Consulting, analyzes the solar success story of Cheng Kin Ming, the Chairman and Founder of APRD Asia Pacific Resources Development Investment Ltd.

While we were putting together this issue of pv magazine , UK newspaper the Guardian broke its story of the fossil fuel industry carrying out a “takeover” of key European renewable energy bodies, including the European Photovoltaic Association (EPIA). The result of this insidious infiltration, claims the Guardian, is that renewable groups have reduced the […]

South Africa: The implementation of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme had a great impact on the solar landscape of South Africa. Since the end of 2011, 64 renewable energy projects have been approved by the South African government.

Manufacturing in China: In China, with multiple renewables policies released by the National Energy Administration and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the expansion of the solar PV market benefited manufacturers of many sizes, as this report on the mid-sized company Eging PV shows. Eging preferred a rather conservative financial strategy.

PV manufacturing: From Norway to India, there are small and mid-sized PV manufacturers that are bringing unique sales propositions to the market and are going for growth as the solar market matures.