Magazine Archive 2020

Floating PV has matured quickly, but while the opportunity of solar on the sea may appear immense, there is nothing trivial about the challenges posed by salinity, wind, and waves. However, technical and financial solutions are appearing on the market, giving small island communities a chance to reduce their reliance on polluting diesel.

The competition between central and string inverters shows no signs of abating. Ingeteam believes its new Ingecon SUN “C Series” central inverters will push the balance back in its favor. The CEO of Ingeteam’s Italian subsidiary and the company’s VP of solar PV, Stefano Domenicali, says that as tariffs fall, capex is king.

Every summer, millions flock to a festival in the city of Boryeong, 200 km south of Seoul. The community offers visitors the chance to strip down and cake themselves in mud from the local tidal flats – a key geographic feature of the Korean Peninsula’s west coast. Another 50 km to the south lies the Saemangeum Seawall – the world’s longest manmade sea dyke, and the planned site of a massive 2.1 GW, state-backed floating PV installation.

With its large and mature small-scale rooftop solar segment, market observers watched Australia closely for the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns in March and April. Early sentiment, evident in a pv magazine Australia and Green Energy Markets survey does not bode well – however installation data indicate that a downturn in installation volume has yet to materialize.

Lebanon failed to make a bond payment of $1.2 billion due on March 9 – the first sovereign default in the country’s history. pv magazine looks at how Lebanon’s debt troubles are now starting to affect the development of renewable energy.

Almost 60% of Nigeria’s population currently has access to electricity. But this breaks down to 78% in cities and urban areas, and just 39% in rural communities. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), established by the government as part of electricity sector reforms in 2005, is tasked with bridging this gap and bringing reliable energy supply to the most remote parts of Nigeria. pv magazine spoke with REA CEO Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad about the organization’s strategy and recent progress, as well as the challenges that remain for rural electrification in Nigeria and the role of PV technology.

Western Australia is soaked in sunshine, and PV uptake is challenging the grid. But small numbers of medium-sized community batteries are taking the heat off the system, while helping more people to reap the dividends of rooftop solar PV.

Tens of thousands of health facilities in low- and middle-income countries lack reliable electricity, contributing to high rates of maternal mortality. Health workers struggling in near darkness use candles, kerosene lanterns, or cellphones to provide illumination for critical procedures. They ask patients to pay for candles, batteries for flashlights, or kerosene for lanterns – a barrier to health care for women living in extreme poverty. We Care Solar designs and delivers pre-wired compact Solar Suitcases for maternal health care facilities in the developing world. This all-in-one solar+storage solution for childbirth evolved from a doctoral student’s research project, and is being scaled worldwide to ensure that no woman gives birth in the dark.

While solar trade shows around the world have been canceled in 2020 due to the global pandemic, pv magazine is bringing the informative content, discussions, and networking opportunities directly into your living room – no long walks through hall floors required. Join our editorial staff and a range of industry experts on Nov. 17, 2020, to gain insights and knowledge on the subjects that matter most in today’s thriving U.S. solar+storage market.

pv magazine is bringing the informative content, discussions, and networking opportunities of a trade show directly into your living room – no walking hall floors required.