The feasibility of solar-powered hydrogen production
Storing solar energy: There is a solid business case to combine PV plants with electrolyzers, as generation costs are low enough to competitively produce hydrogen as a fuel, says Bjørn Simonsen of NEL Hydrogen. He was a speaker at pv magazine’s Future PV Roundtable event at Solar Power International in Las Vegas last month.
The groundwork for growth
Storage in India: Rahul Walawalkar, executive director of the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), talks to pv magazine about India’s vast energy storage potential, ahead of next week’s World Energy Storage Day.
If it looks like a duck …
… swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. Solar is that duck: an energy source that enjoys massive public support; can be installed at mega or micro-scale; can thrive without subsidies; can be counted upon all year round; and can power homes, businesses, remote communities, and support […]
Health check: MLPE
MLPE market: New AC and smart modules, internationalization, and stringent grid regulations are set to drive a surge in MLPE shipments. Miguel de Jesus, solar analyst at IHS Markit looks into upcoming trends hitting the module-level power electronics (MLPE) market.
A divided industry
U.S. solar tariff: The current trade petition filed by Suniva, joined by SolarWorld and belatedly supported by First Solar, has divided the U.S. solar industry into angry for/against camps. The most significant damage done by the petition may be to industry relationships.
Panel predictions 2018
Major Trends of 2018: From further trade wars and cost reductions to the ongoing pursuit of high efficiency and wider adoption of diamond wire multi-Si wafers and black silicon, what module manufacturing trends lie in store next year?
Hungry for renewables
Solar in Spain: 2020 is around the corner. In order to comply with the European objectives and after five years of standstill, Spain has tendered 8 GW of renewables in only three months. The announced drop in the retribution parameters forecast for that year not only jeopardizes the 4 GW already granted to PV, but also the solvency of old installations.
India’s silent revolution makes some noise
Renewable Energy India Expo: The breathtaking scale of India’s solar expansion over the past 24 months has captured headlines around the world. The recent Renewable Energy India Expo laid bare the growth and opportunities apparent in this soaring market, which has matured from quiet evolution to rapid transformation.
The law’s an asset
Argentina market update: Argentina has taken a number of steps in recent months to make solar more attractive. While the utility-scale segment is expected to receive further support thanks to the third round of the RenovAr program, distributed generation (DG) and private PPA businesses may benefit from new regulations set to be issued in the coming months. The country is now better positioned to achieve its ambitious target of sourcing 20% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2025.
An NEG-proof boom
All Energy Australia 2017: There is no doubt that the Australian PV market is booming. With installations set to hit all-time highs in 2017, and the major constraining factor in the marketplace being the availability of trained labour, the solar future looks bright. But on the eve of significant and long-term success, the federal government has thrown a spanner in the works with a new National Energy Guarantee (NEG).
