Magazine Archive 2017

There runs a persistent and slightly pernicious line of thought that would place 2016 as one of the worst years in human history. Sure, the near-incessant stream of depressing news stories appeared to arrive at a fair clip last year, but taking a broader view, 2016 was a continuation of certain positive trends that we […]

Utility-scale update: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) always seems to linger longingly in solar industry conversations, as the region of the world with the most untapped pv potential. Analaysts have long predicted that once solar finally drops here, it’s going to drop big. 2016 was a big year for solar in the MENA region, probably the best yet, leading to increased hope that it could stand up as the torchbearer amongst oil-rich regions for the deployment of solar energy.

Zayed Future Energy Prize: Since it was first awarded in 2008, the Zayed Future Energy Prize has quickly grown to become a leading prize for companies in the cleantech world. This year’s prize, to be awarded in January 2017, consists of a total fund of $4 million. Managed by Abu Dhabi renewables specialist Masdar, the fund will be distributed across several different categories.

Solar in Jordan: Jordan’s pv market has grown at a stunning rate to become a leading force for solar PV development in the Middle East region. pv magazine examines what the country’s solar PV sector can expect in the new year and beyond.

Emerging markets: Energy investors are always on the lookout for new emerging markets that meet or exceed the industry’s expectations. With the new year just begun, pv magazine examines some of the potential solar stars of 2017, and the conditions most likely to deliver strong growth.

Italian solar: After a significant slowdown of the solar sector in the past four years, PV module prices have recently fallen dramatically. Italy is in line with the rest of Europe where, according to the most recent IEA statistics report, the industry decline has begun to slow, in spite of rapid cost decreases all across the value chain.

Interview: In December Energy Democracy, a book telling the story of Germany’s Energiewende from the perspective of citizen ownership of renewable energy, hit the shelves. The book is the latest collaboration of Political Scientist Arne Jungjohann and Writer and Translator Craig Morris, who worked together on the German Energy Transition website (energytransition.de). pv magazine caught up with Jungjohann to talk about the book, and why citizen involvement in energy is important.

Module testing: Physics of Failure is an approach to testing and designing for reliability used in many “mission-critical” industries such as military hardware, aerospace and automotive manufacturing. And while the solar PV industry is beginning to investigate Physics of Failure, many questions remain unanswered.