Digesting the EC’s border tax proposal
The European Union’s proposed carbon border tax on imports of energy-intensive goods could push up prices of steel, aluminum and raw materials, which could add costs to the supply chain for solar PV installations. In the longer run, however, the border tax could also offer solar PV manufacturers new opportunities to source materials with a lower carbon footprint.
Bridging the BIPV gap
Architects and construction companies are being offered an ever growing array of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) products, with their needs for safety, speed of construction and aesthetics in mind. But can it drag BIPV beyond niche status?
Hidden traps
Frédéric Dross of STS shares the minor yet essential details that buyers must pay close attention to when finalizing module purchase agreements, based on the company’s experience advising clients across the globe. Avoiding hidden traps in purchase agreements comes down to detailed contractual knowledge, fine print, and understanding common practices to bypass strict controls.
Final thought: Solar is the new oil
To fulfill the Paris Agreement, renewable energy must be expanded massively. Consequently, photovoltaics will be of increasing strategic importance to the global energy sector.
Stepping up storage in the US
The U.S. storage market is booming. But while the solar PV industry has come a long way, with decades of deployment to look back on, battery energy storage is still coming of age. And when things move fast, things can go wrong. At pv magazine’s Virtual Roundtables USA event in late-November 2020, experts raised the challenges that accompany opportunities for battery storage. A move toward greater maturity allows some lessons to be learned from solar – leveling up energy storage will require commitment from the sector with standards, testing, and quality performance.
The race for green hydrogen
Large swaths of low-cost land: check. Lots of sun and wind: check. The ability to transport green hydrogen cost-effectively to energy importing economies: check. Then you’re in the race to become one of the “renewable energy superpowers” of the low-carbon economy. A growing number of countries are assessing their renewable resources and natural attributes and positioning themselves to become green hydrogen exporters. However, not all are created equal.
Mixed reaction to draft EU rules for batteries
The European Union is drafting new regulations to address the carbon footprint of batteries, but streamlining and monitoring the new rules across Europe and beyond will be a momentous challenge.
Battery testing builds certainty
Owners and operators of energy storage systems, as well as investors, need transparent ways to evaluate battery performance. They need certainty that the selected batteries for their ESS projects will perform reliably, have predictable life expectancies, and meet projected revenue and contractual obligations over their lifetimes. The economic viability of entire projects depend on this confidence, writes Michael Kleinberg of DNV.
pv magazine test: Three years in operation
The pv magazine test array in Xi’an, China, is being dismantled and upgraded this month. CEA director of technology and quality George Touloupas, senior technology and quality manager Huatian Xu, and Ryan Li, junior engineer for technology and quality, have taken the opportunity to analyze three years of performance data, in addition to running modules from the array through another series of lab measurements.
Corporates’ critical solar role
Despite the global pandemic and recession, corporate purchases of clean energy are booming. Several factors are driving this trend, including falling costs, heightened appetite for sustainability among consumers and investors, and increased political will for net-zero development. In recognition of this, the UP Initiative will spend the third quarter investigating sustainable electricity supply. How are PPA models evolving? What are the critical issues around residual energy? And how can greenwashing be avoided? pv magazine investigates.
