Magazine Archive 2016

Module prices: As the year draws to a close, there has been little movement in module prices. A slight bottleneck in polycrystalline standard modules noted in November failed to lift prices, counteracted by the usual clearance sales in December.

Jordan update: Jordan’s solar PV market is currently the most successful in the MENA region. Its success, however, is not solely based on number of installations; rather, it is more accurately assessed by the number of local stakeholders that comprise the vibrant and fruitful solar space. pv magazine expands on Jordan’s great success and examines the opportunities and limitations that could enable or restrain it very soon.

NYSE Bloomberg Solar Energy Index: Index searches for direction as policy support offsets mixed 3Q15 reports and Paris Climate talks boost investor optimism.

O&M: The solar industry is coming of age. While building new capacity remains of primary focus, PV owners and developers are in parallel putting increased emphasis on the optimization of the existing fleet in order to achieve greater efficiency and asset value. Kamal Soundararajan and Ragna Schmidt-Haupt of DNV GL (formerly GL Garrad Hassan) provide an overview of recommended practices and a glimpse into the future of drones for a modernized and holistic approach to solar asset operations.

Feed-in tariffs: Many changes to incentive schemes have taken place across the globe since pv magazine ’s last update nine months ago. In response, this section has been renamed to better reflect the shift away from the feed-in tariff model toward the breadth of financing schemes now available.

Battery storage: A solution to emerging markets’ growing energy needs, battery storage is beginning to deliver on its promise and potential in many parts of rural Africa. Stefanie Werler and Franziska Kohler of GIZ reveal how solar+storage could solve Tanzania’s energy problems with a little forethought and planning.

Middle East analysis: The opportunities that the Middle East region holds for solar are vast. But culturally, politically and financially, there remain varying degrees of challenges, particularly for international investors and project developers seeking entry into these markets.

China curtailment: Debilitating, inherent, and seemingly insurmountable – China’s inability to connect to the grid up to 10% of completed solar PV capacity is a serious cause for concern. But with this and other PV predators laying in wait, the government has a clear target to aim for if it wishes to ensure its renewable energy goals are met.

Welcome! Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that the soon-to-be sunburnt chap pictured above is not your usual editor in chief, Jonathan Gifford. Jonathan is off on paternity leave for the birth of his first child, so I am stepping into the breach for one issue while he feels his way slowly into the wonderful world […]

Japan has made it again: For the second year running, Japan was one of the world’s leading PV nations, adding some 10 GW of new solar PV capacity in 2015. This year will prove crucial due to the anticipated liberalization of Japan’s retail electricity market and other policy changes that the energy ministry is planning specifically for the PV sector. So what will 2016 and beyond look like for Japan’s solar landscape?