Recent advances in inverter technology and retrofit Balance of System components can ensure optimal PV performance in even the most challenging climatic environments. But just how much of a difference can this new tech make? Balance of System (BoS) technologies are developing rapidly to increase yields from PV plants which presents great opportunities for the… Read more »
Free-riders in waste management and legal compliance may have become the new threat to sustainable PV business in Europe. PV CYCLE’s Head of Public Affairs talks us through the current situation and offers advice for a legally-sound – not to mention environmentally conscious – future. 2013 was a boom year, not for everyone, but certainly… Read more »
The temptation, for any R&D driven company, is to occasionally cut back on the expenses and focus on income-generating services. But to do so in today’s accelerating market would be a backwards step, argues Klaus M. Schulte, Managing Director of respected industry PV-Engineering GmbH. We’re delighted to welcome him back to the magazine. PES: Welcome… Read more »
Solar energy in 2015 is in an enviable position throughout much of the world. Companies in the business of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy employ more people than any other renewable energy market segment, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). While the industry as a whole is still growing, it is also seeing new… Read more »
Michael Lippert, Saft’s marketing manager for energy storage, describes how experience of managing megawatt-scale Li-ion energy storage systems (ESSs) in the field has led to the development of best practice in managing ESSs for large solar (and wind) plants. Photovoltaic (PV) solar and wind power plants are characterised by high variability and limited predictability caused… Read more »
A large number of geographically spread complex renewable projects, with demanding levels of performance, are a challenge to manage. Without a unique, flexible, high-performance and hardware agnostic energy management platform, it becomes almost impossible and is not likely to get any easier in the near future. In many parts of the world, governments will not… Read more »
It will not have escaped your attention that PERC is indeed setting the agenda right now. But to stay one step head, it’s worth ‘thinking smart, and choosing Spatial ALD’ argues SoLayTec’s Roger Görtzen in a typically passionate and well-considered piece. In recent years, the p-type standard Al-BSF cells have improved significantly, especially with new… Read more »
Significant changes to the NEC 2014 will require system owners and developers to make new considerations in their PV design and deployment. PES speaks to Natalie Holtgrefe, Head of Marketing at Solectria about how their products are providing the solution for the new specification. PES: Welcome to the magazine. Would you like to introduce the… Read more »
As one might imagine, the connection of inverters to a public grid system is subject to numerous compliance procedures and regulations. But how and why are these systems tested? Here, Peter Mock of Spitzenberger & Spies gives us the reasons and processes behind this crucial aspect of solar grid implementation. The “OK” for the connection… Read more »
A supplier and manufacturer of lithium battery storage systems, TESVOLT GmbH offers a flexible solution that stores the most of solar power. We took a closer look at the pioneering company and its innovative solutions… Reliable lithium battery systems (EES)Able to meet the needs of all users, from family homes to turnkey megawatt power plants,… Read more »
Jessica Laporte explores the impact of scaling back incentives in a country that has led from the front in recent years. Since 2010, Conservative discourse on renewable energy has firmly criticised the green add-on to utility bills as an unnecessary burden to the taxpayer. Tory ministers have highlighted the unanticipated success of the Feed-In Tariff… Read more »
We’re delighted to welcome back Vaisala to the magazine, a company that – primarily through its 3TIER Services offering – sets the global agenda for on-site measurements and solar resource modelling. We spoke to the one of the company’s most-respected experts, Gwendalyn Bender. PES: Welcome to PES. For the benefit of our new readers, perhaps… Read more »
The PV industry is perhaps more safety conscious than ever before, with an increasing focus on standards, quality of work and H&S. But what of the risks presented by fire? We take a look at the advances being made by Weiss Umwelttechnik GmbH. In the course of the energy transition, a fifth of the total… Read more »
As perhaps one of the world’s best known and biggest solar brands, Yingli Solar has set an agenda built on quality and changing the perception of the industry. We spoke to Angie Koh, Managing Director Yingli Green Energy Singapore Company Pte. Limited. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you care to introduce yourself to our readers… Read more »
The specialist for photovoltaic (PV) energy management systems, Solare Datensysteme GmbH, will start 2015 with a new chief executive officer. Binsdorf (Germany), 2 September 2015: With over 234,000 monitored PV plants, Solar-LogTM is the worldwide leader in the sector of inverter-independent PV monitoring systems. The 234,000 PV plants have now reached an installed power capacity… Read more »
-PROINSO has announced details of a new roof top product designed to meet the distinct market challenges of South Africa- One of the largest integrator and distributor companies of solar components in the world, PROINSO is set to strengthen its presence and penetration in the South African photovoltaic market with the launch of PROINSO PV RACK. Drawing on a heritage of over… Read more »
High Wind NV is pleased to announce that Ole Jacob Wang Nielsen has joined the company as Head of Business Development. Ole Jacob will continue the commercialisation of the Boom Lock© which allows for safe installation of wind turbine components in higher wind speeds. Ole Jacob has worked in the maritime industry since 2001 and… Read more »
Munich, September 2015. Mining companies are constantly gaining interest in solar solutions because frequently solar energy is more cost competitive than conventional energy solutions – above all in remote locations that are not grid connected. CRONIMET Mining Power Solutions GmbH (“CRMPS”) has built a first solar-diesel-hybrid power plant in the MW-scale at CRONIMET Chrome SA… Read more »
Two big names with a shared heritage in submarine cabling are collaborating on a new project for the Wikinger Offshore Wind Farm in the Baltic Sea. The Prysmian Group has chartered Global Marine Systems Limited’s cable-laying vessel, the C.S. Sovereign, from mid-2016 into early 2017. Her remit will be to install inter array cables at… Read more »
Dr Rob Grant FRSC founded GR2L with the objective of commercialising chemical looping combustion technology into the gas purification market. Here, he gives us an insight into the untapped potential of argon recycling. In the production of silicon wafers to be fabricated into solar cells and micro-electronic devices high purity argon (better than 99.999%) is… Read more »
The solar market has been growing at breakneck speed and the predictions for the future are getting growing bolder by the day. However, today it is not just the project developers, hardware manufacturers, EPCs and banks and who are keeping busy supporting the solar industry’s growth… As the global installed base for solar is expected… Read more »
Solar energy is key to the UK’s energy future but solar farms also need to pass a “high quality” test demanded by investors, banks and funds. What are the key legal questions investors and funders need to consider when investing in UK solar? The rate of deployment of ground-mounted solar in the UK has been… Read more »
The UK is currently Europe’s largest solar market, with capacity at the end of March standing at just over 5.7GW. This has all been achieved against the backdrop of a changing and challenging regulatory environment. Alessandro Ceschiat of SunEdison Europe discusses how the industry can build on this remarkable achievement. During one day in June,… Read more »
This year’s European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2015) will be taking place in mid-September at the Congress Center (CCH) in Hamburg, Germany. PV experts will meet to discuss new concepts, trends and developments in science and industry, as photovoltaic solar energy becomes a major electricity source on the world stage. We… Read more »
…it’s happening at Solar Power International. SPI, ranked as the largest solar trade show in North America, will be held during September 2015 in California, USA. Offering 100+ educational offerings – including learning opportunities right on the show floor – to the hundreds of exhibitors in the expo hall, and showcasing new products and technology,… Read more »
Germany has embarked on a journey to fundamentally transform its energy supply system: the energy turnaround, or “Energiewende” as it is known. But the country that kick-started the PV movement around a decade ago has since been superseded by even more ambitious nations. So can Germany become a game-changer once more? Between 1990 and 2014,… Read more »
We head to DMG MORI’s global headquarters in Winterthur, Switzerland, to discover more about the company’s pioneering car charging system and its impact on energy efficiency. It is a widely discussed fact that electric vehicles only drive CO2 neutral when running on green power. Therefore an accessible charging infrastructure based on green energy is essential… Read more »
Because they can withstand extreme environmental conditions, silicones are ideal for solar panel and photovoltaic (PV) applications. And while solar cells themselves are made of silicon, silicones are used during module assembly and installation as encapsulants, coatings, potting agents, adhesives and sealants. We present an overview and an interview, courtesy of Dow Corning. Dow Corning’s… Read more »
It is estimated that by 2050, the world’s population will exceed nine billion. All these people will need access to sustainable sources of energy, materials, and food. To provide the amount of energy required, we will have little choice but to drastically increase the amount of renewable energy we generate. The Netherlands-based multinational Royal DSM… Read more »
Specialist renewable energy insurer covers construction of flagship Latin American PV project London, 2nd September 2015 – GCube Underwriting Limited (GCube), the leading underwriter for renewable energy initiatives worldwide, has signed a 3 year contract to cover the project company in charge of the construction and operational phases of one of Chile’s largest solar photovoltaic… Read more »
Brazil Windpower 2015, Rio de Janeiro: Moventas has entered the Brazilian wind O&M market by teaming up with industrial gearbox expert Zanini Renk, who will become a Moventas authorized service partner. With drivetrain experience that’s unparalleled in the area, the two will offer comprehensive wind O&M services in Brazil. Moventas and Zanini Renk raise the… Read more »
September 2, 2015, Holland, Ohio – Nextronex, Inc. is pleased to announce that its RayMax inverter system has been selected for a 100 kW carport at the Veterans Administration in Guam. The carport is currently under construction, and will be placed in operation later this year. Venergy Group, LLC of Ft. Pierce, Florida is a… Read more »
August 31, 2015: Syntegra Solar announced today, that the company as the Owners Engineer for San Carlos Solar Energy Inc., was instrumental in the successful installation of the SaCaSol 1C/1D PV Power Plants in August 2015. The overall 23 MWp PV Power Plant project was commissioned on-budget and met the SaCaSol schedule on-time; the installation… Read more »
• Siemens direct-drive wind turbines are the only product that meets the site’s stringent regulations• Protection against electromagnetic emissions allows erection directly beside a receiving station of Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS)• Community wind farm counts over 280 shareholders The receiving stations of Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), the company in charge of air traffic control for Germany, are… Read more »
At the annual shareholders meeting of Roth & Rau AG, shareholders approved the proposal to rename Roth & Rau to Meyer Burger (Germany) AG. The renaming strengthens the Meyer Burger corporate brand presence and further streamlines internal collaboration and processes. As part of the ongoing focussing of its core competencies, Meyer Burger (Germany) AG will… Read more »