Silicon carbide’s second coming
Silicon carbide (SiC) has promised inverter makers higher power density, higher efficiency, and a total bill of materials that comes in closer to its more established rival in silicon. Has SiC finally arrived? Tristan Rayner spoke to the people at the forefront of the wider-bandgap material to find out the back story and what’s next.
Made in Indonesia
Indonesia has set itself some ambitious goals for PV manufacturing, backed by domestic content requirements and other incentives. But local demand is limited, and the nation faces stiff competition from China and other countries on the export market. While real obstacles remain, a restructuring of state-owned electricity company PLN and local raw material riches mean the potential is growing.
New technologies, new risks: edge ribbon cracking
As the PV module market shifts toward higher-efficiency modules, with half-cut cells and multi-busbar designs with round wires, it is important to continue to consider the reliability risk associated with changes in module design. While performing EL inspections in the field, a new type of microcrack associated with the combination of these technologies has been spotted, known as edge ribbon cracks. They have been seen to grow during shipping and installation. Claire Kearns-McCoy and George Touloupas of CEA offer a closer look.
Home is where the decarbonization is
Rising home electricity consumption underscores the importance of making the most out of solar electrons, says Yogev Barak, chief marketing officer for SolarEdge Technologies. The SolarEdge Home smart energy management system seeks to push solar self-consumption rates up via the adoption of energy storage and the integration of smart devices.
High stakes
Despite worldwide net-zero pledges, a new EU sustainable debt taxonomy, an urgent need to address the climate crisis, and record sustainable debt investments, the world still has a long path to tread to meet its climate goals. In the third quarter of 2022, pv magazine’s UP Initiative will focus on green finance. Specifically, what steps have been made in the past two years? Will sustainability-linked bonds gain traction? What supporting policies and standards are in place or required? And what can solar companies do to be ESG-ready?
From solar-home systems to large mining applications
Across much of the African continent, off-grid solar can provide the antidote to unreliable infrastructure and exorbitant connection costs. Standalone solar and energy storage are already improving the quality of life for many households and enabling the economic prosperity of commercial and industrial players. THEnergy’s Thomas Hillig examines how off-grid solar systems large and small are influencing energy developments across the continent.
Sustainable finance as standard
Sustainable finance has been a major growth story, and a positive development for the solar sector as a fundamental part of the energy transition. But as the sustainable investment market evolves and is forced to respond to some criticism, the question arises, what exactly is sustainable finance and what does it mean for the future of the solar sector? Felicia Jackson in London lays out some of the different forms this funding can take.
Stage set for Brazilian manufacturing expansion
Brazil’s hot demand for solar is set to accelerate the country toward a spot in the top five global PV markets. But despite a once significant domestic manufacturing presence backed by local content requirements for project financing, Brazil faces challenges in growing its manufacturing base beyond a small percentage of its total PV installed each year. pv magazine’s Beatriz Santos reports.
The new players in China PV
China’s solar industry continues to grow rapidly, and new faces have begun to join the ranks of the industry’s biggest players. Although they come with new, unfamiliar names, they are aggressive and ambitious, and often bring surprisingly well-prepared investment plans and deep pockets. Who are they? What are they doing in the field? Vincent Shaw reports from Shanghai.
Mind the gap
Wood Mackenzie Senior Research Analyst Max Reid explains why recycling battery materials will not be enough to meet projected electric vehicle demand in 2030. Miners need to get to work, and fast.
