Magazine Archive 2019

It is the promise that our industry provides for creating a more just and sustainable world which makes it such a motivating place to work. In Conversation is our annual feature bringing forth expertise from industry leaders who have made significant contributions to the global PV marketplace.

The words of outgoing CEO of SolarPower Europe, James Watson (pp. 26-27) should provide a skip to any solar professional’s step as another year commences in the fast-paced PV business. Solar is, in Watson’s words, “full of optimists, and it is full of innovative and very bright people.” And who am I to disagree? However, each new year brings familiar cycles of challenges, hope, disappointments, and sometimes even regrets.

The life of an expat is often a case of being neither one thing, nor the other. For me personally, I’m left being perceived Aussie through-and-through when home in Berlin, and oh-so-German when back spending time with family and friends in Perth, Australia. It brings with it certain benefits and in terms of work, 2019 […]

There is little doubt that the energy world is changing. This was reflected at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi last month, where leaders from oil and gas rich nations in the Middle East spoke favorably as to the role solar and wind is likely to play in their economies in the future. […]

Sometimes it’s necessary to stick to your guns, follow that in which you believe, and stay the course. But other times, you need to stay flexible and adjust to what’s in front of you. And in the solar and cleantech sector in general, the latter is more often the case than the former. This is […]

The emergence of subsidy-free PV in Europe is a sign of things to come. But it will demand a shift of thinking, as tight margins require higher standards right across the supply chain. But, are we ready? There is little doubt that there is surging demand from offtakers of subsidy-free PV power. Solar still, on […]

Different flavors, colors and creeds; a source of resiliency in the face of rapid change. And as it is true for our societies, so is it for our modern solar industry – with the growing number of PV markets of significance and the increasing diversity of product offerings providing a buffer to potential headwinds. Encouragingly, […]

In a 100 GW global PV market, things can move quickly. With the right policy settings in place, well-positioned developers can spring into action and install megawatts of capacity seemingly overnight. While causing headaches for analysts, it is a welcome sign to see how quickly PV technology can be deployed — meeting growing energy needs […]

Strong results for the second quarter of 2019 buoyed solar companies’ stock market performance in July. And much ongoing positivity still hangs on the expectation of a third quarter rally from China. Jesse Pichel of ROTH Capital Partners looks at the situation for solar’s listed companies.

The story of the modern PV industry is one defined by international collaboration and partnerships. Fundamental research, production tool development, manufacturing know-how, financial innovation and supportive policy measures have all taken place in certain parts of the globe, to be deployed, tweaked, improved upon and mastered in others. And the cumulative effect is the highly […]