Magazine Archive 2020

Throughout this year, a fast-moving story has played out in PV module technology, with the introduction of larger wafers and subsequently larger module formats seeing the industry break into two camps, backing either 182 mm or 210 mm wafers. It remains to be seen whether one or the other will become a new industry standard, and both sizes will likely be plentiful on the market for the next few years at least. pv magazine takes a look at how we got to this point.

When talking about processes to ensure quality in renewable energy – whether in the production of materials or the operation of a power plant – it can be a struggle to avoid excessive jargon and keep things simple enough to translate into effective improvements on the ground. Experienced project manager Nabeel Ismeer decrypts some of the geekspeak from the world of quality.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has opened a formal investigation into the exact failure mode behind the destruction at the Yamakura Dam floating PV installation. In the end, the ministry seeks to draw up a plan to revamp not just the dam, but also the arrays that are still intact. This is a learning exercise that should be closely followed, as floating PV is enjoying growing popularity.

Contracts to build solar PV plants usually contain a performance warranty to ensure that the owner receives an asset that delivers the agreed-upon minimum performance level. But can warranties and assessment methodologies guarantee that plant performance is being correctly assessed? The answer is not entirely straightforward, writes Felipe Canto Teixeira, a partner at Everoze.

A growing number of companies in Indonesia, particularly multinationals that implement green policies or are listed as RE100 participants, are poised to adopt rooftop PV. Regulatory changes and signals from the country’s previous government, which supported coal, are paving the way for significant growth.

Two new test facilities are looking to expand PV’s reach beyond the constraints of land and toward the open ocean. And if the steep learning curve from freshwater floating PV installations is anything to go by, the data produced at the test beds will prove invaluable.

Each year, Intersolar and the wider smarter E Europe exhibition offer a vital health check for the industry, not to mention the chance for players to come together over a couple of world-famous Bavarian beers. This year though, the show is among the huge number of events worldwide to have been canceled or postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Sad to miss out on our usual team trip to Munich, pv magazine reached out to the show’s organizers, as well as a few key exhibitors, for a look at what might have been.

Koen Peters has been the executive director of global offgrid solar association GOGLA since 2014. He has more than 20 years of international work experience, with more than 12 years in relation to energy access. He has gathered insights from many different perspectives and organizations, including government, consulting, startup businesses, and international finance organizations.

French project developer and independent power producer Neoen caught the attention of the wider solar community with the development of record-setting PV projects, such as the 300 MW Cestas array in France. But it’s big batteries, such as the expanded 150 MW/193.5 MWh Hornsdale project in Australia, that have truly surprised many. And this is just the beginning, says Romain Desrousseaux, Neoen‘s deputy CEO and head of international development.

In preparation for the Asset Management Session of pv magazine’s Virtual Roundtables Europe in June, we took a close look at how much yield is lost due to quality issues, and discussed with a group of experts when it makes financial sense to take appropriate measures to address these issues.