Just in time or not
Production materials: Has a fatal accident at the worlds largest manufacturer of silver powder put the concept of just in time production to the test for the PV supply chain?
Melting backsheets, broken cells, and hotspots
Black sheep part II: A case of compromised quality. A German operator claims nearly 17% of the modules in his array displayed significant damage after three years. The EPC company concealed the damage from the investor until the warranty had expired. The module manufacturer responded slowly and only out of goodwill. pv magazine investigates what can be done in part two of its ongoing Black Sheep campaign.
Nevada eviscerates net metering: Perspective by Shayle Kann and Julia Pyper
Nevada: When regulators in Nevada moved to alter the states net metering policy for solar customers at the end of last year, the industry was aghast both within Nevada and more widely. GTM Researchs Shayle Kann and Julia Pyper discussed the policys impact on a recent Energy Gang podcast, and here are the most pertinent takeaways from that talk.
Raise a glass
Glass-glass modules: The market for dual-glass modules is expected to enjoy increasing opportunities in 2016 as more of the industrys larger players back the technology, writes Corrine Lin of EnergyTrend.
Scratching the ITC
How the ITC was won: The extension of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) towards the end of last year came as something of a very welcome shock to the industry. Nat Kreamer of Spruce Finance Inc. tells pv magazine how the ITC was extended, how the industry responded, and U.S. solars role in achieving bipartisan accord.
SMA: far from out of the woods
SMA turnaround: While its restructuring has delivered results, Götz Fischbeck of Smart Solar Consulting investigates whether SMA is back on the long-term path to success, or has just earned some breathing space. The dual threats of MLPE in residential and modular three-phase in utility scale looms.
Solar in the frame
South Africa: Anna-Lena Becker of Rödl & Partner delivers a comprehensive overview of South Africas electricity market, specifically in relation to the vast opportunities for solar development throughout the country, and the pro-PV frameworks that have emerged.
The Eleventh Commandment
Solar consumers: In a new solar book aimed at the solar buyer rather than the seller, the author of Divorcing the Electric Company: The Insiders Guide to Solar Electricity, has climbed the PV mountain to proclaim: Thou shalt not get scammed by solar sellers.
The road to decentralization
Energy transition: Germany continues to be a leading market for installed PV capacity, and the market for domestic storage systems is booming. This raises the question of just how distributed the energy world of tomorrow will be. The debate over this question is a conflict that holds lessons for other countries as well.
