Hope for a restart
The decline of the Turkish PV market over the past three years has been disappointing. But there is hope in the form of smaller “mini YEKA” tenders and the creation of a policy regime to support power purchase agreements, says Kutay Kaleli, the chairman of the board at Turkey’s peak solar industry body, Günder.
The more you know
Module-level power electronics, most often in the form of power optimizers and microinverters, offer a range of value propositions, including advanced monitoring capabilities. But how much can the little box behind the module really see, and how much do operators actually need to know to keep a power plant running optimally?
Drones or measurements?
Project owners need to make choices in terms of plant monitoring equipment. That can be electrical metrology equipment, but could also include new approaches such as using drones and machine-learning algorithms, or both.
Poland’s policy overhaul
The first half of 2021 promises significant changes for the renewable energy industry in Poland. Lawmakers are working on a major overhaul of key legislation for the renewable energy sector – the Energy Act and the Renewable Energy Sources Act. These latest amendments make sense and, truth be told, some of them should have been made a long time ago, writes Piotr Mrowiec of law firm Rödl & Partner.
In Conversation: Vehicle-to-Gautham
Gautham Ram completed an electrical engineering degree in his home city of Chennai, India, and won a scholarship to complete a master’s at TU Delft in the Netherlands. He subsequently completed a PhD on the topic of charging EVs with solar. Speaking with pv magazine, Ram gave insights on his life, ongoing research, and his thoughts on EVs and charging.
Hot thermal hopes
Thermal energy storage is dense, efficient, and suitable for greenfield and brownfield projects, with a potentially long lifespan. It can also be built with recyclable or low-impact storage materials. So why is it taking so long to achieve widespread commercial success? Tristan Rayner explores the latest developments.
Distributed generation powers Mexican PV
Distributed solar generation continues to be the sole growth factor for renewable energy in the Mexican market. Despite some large project announcements in recent weeks, other segments have slowed down under new regulatory conditions, with the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador continuing to favor fossil fuels.
Independent action
The city of Ithaca, New York – located 180 miles from Manhattan – has adopted a Green New Deal, in line with its aims to offset all carbon emissions by 2030. It is implementing private equity programs and net-zero building mandates to get there. Ryan Kennedy reports as part of the UP Initiative’s fourth-quarter focus on urban solar.
Electrons to replace molecules in US homes
Policy developments are likely to define decarbonization efforts and rooftop solar deployment in U.S. homes. Proposed legislation at the federal level is looking to accelerate electrification, while net metering developments continue at the state level. pv magazine USA’s Ryan Kennedy provides an update.
Headroom on heat pumps
Heat pumps can now achieve sufficiently high flow temperatures to operate most heating systems, even in older buildings. They are not yet highly efficient, but new refrigerants are expected to provide a remedy. This presents a number of challenges, but German researchers and industry participants are working on solutions to harness the power of heat pumps to keep people warm throughout the year.
