Limited supply, rising prices
Modules in the US: Regardless of its outcome, the Suniva trade case is already having profound effects on supply, demand and pricing for PV modules in the U.S., writes Camron Barati, IHS Markit analyst, North America Solar.
Wholesale market crisis
Electricity market: Sustained low wholesale power prices are driving coal, nuclear and even gas plant retirements, pushing independent power producers into the red, and spurring reforms of wholesale market structures. But even PV is not immune to these trends. pv magazine looks at the implications for the solar industry.
Grow, Canada
Alberta, Canada: A new pro-solar program in Canada’s Alberta province could pave the way for PV to follow in the deep footsteps of wind power. But are Albertans ready to embrace the possibilities and opportunities at their fingertips?
Balancing act
Solar and nuclear: Can high levels of solar and wind coexist with nuclear generation on the grid? The answer is more complicated than you might think.
A slow yet inexorable advance
Distributed generation in Latin America: The improvement to, or introduction of, legislative frameworks favoring distributed generation is advancing at an unceasing pace in Latin America. Countries that already have legislation in place now want to get more power, and those who do not have it are quick to take their first steps to democratize energy. Subsidized electricity rates and difficulty in finding financing remain the biggest obstacles.
Goal-fired generation
India market update: The Indian National Solar Mission’s 100 GW solar target requires support from both the storage and DG sectors. Akhilesh Magal from the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute examines these thus far under-developed markets.
An industrial strategy for solar in Europe
Solar Power Europe op-ed: Dr. Christian Westermeier, President of Solar Power Europe discusses European solar, and how best to support the growth of a significant and sustainable market on the continent.
Calculating the cost
Tracker maintenance: Trying to chase down O&M costs for trackers is a bit like a trip down Alice’s rabbit hole. The rich landscape of detail that materializes tends to obscure the original mission. pv magazine digs into the quandary to investigate whether the numbers stack up.
Large-scale disruptor
Utility-scale storage: Past deployment has been steady, but 2017 appears to be the year large-scale battery storage begins achieving its disruptive potential. French developer Neoen is teaming with Tesla to deliver a 100 MWh storage array to strengthen the South Australian grid – which must be in place and installed by the time the summer peak electricity demand arrives.
Developing a nose for performance
Monitoring: Having picked up a 2017 DSM SunRISE TechBridge Challenge award in June, SunSniffer is taking aim at the U.S. market, with its intelligent PV power plant monitoring system. While he hits on a number of buzzwords within the 2017 solar sector, not least digitization, SunSniffer CEO Ingmar Kruse says that there is a strong technological basis and financial case underpinning the solution.
