An innovative and resourceful company that already excels in the automotive industry by supplying quality assured fasteners, Fukung Hardware is set on making gains in solar. We spoke to the organisation’s Candice Hwang to find out more. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to introduce the company and explain a little about you serve… Read more »
The PV market is growing, with an expected 58.3 GW to be installed in 2015. However, the installed assets and investments require constant, solid and traceable PV plant data monitoring in order to determine actual performance and fulfil owner/investor expectations. Juergen Sutterlueti of Gantner Instruments Environment Solutions GmbH, takes us through the issues. Photovoltaic project… Read more »
Dirk Tegtmeyer is a regular contributor to PES, and his valued input acts as a bellweather for the health of Ingenieurbüro Mencke & Tegtmeyer GmbH and the PV industry at large. We caught up with the German executive once again for another exclusive interview. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. How has business been since… Read more »
Regular contributors to PES, Kipp & Zonen are world renowned experts when it comes to providing class-leading instruments for measuring solar radiation. But what is important when it comes to selecting solar irradiance measurements equipment in solar energy projects? And what are the optimal solutions and systems for PV, CPV and CSP projects? We asked… Read more »
In 2015, three different companies (and counting) have announced record-breaking cell efficiencies. R&D departments are locked in a pitched battle to produce the ultimate solar cell in order to dominate the PV landscape. We take a look at the state of play – and what exactly is up for grabs. Our story begins on 24… Read more »
On a wider scale, Loser Chemie GmbH develops and distributes future-oriented and environment-friendly products, plants and processes that focus on a great many fields. One of the company’s particular niches, however, is the PV industry and it is currently pioneering the recycling of indium, gallium, tellurium, etc. from thin film photovoltaic waste. The company’s Dr…. Read more »
PES presents an exclusive, in-depth look at the pioneering projects and products of G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH. Global cooperation with system partners requires a wide variety of different variants and interfaces. Lufft environmental sensors, whether stationary or mobile, can be integrated via many different protocols in new or existing applications. Through the low… Read more »
As the PV market grows, it is inevitable that the industry will attract manufacturers who can bring valuable knowledge from other sectors. PES speaks to Dr. Thomas Kietzke of Merck Performance Materials to find out how they are helping to develop and improve solar power. PES: Welcome back to PES. For the benefit of new… Read more »
Having been established for over 30 years, meteocontrol GmbH will be a familiar company with services that will be similarly familiar for many within the industry. It is also a regular contributor to PES and we have been able to interview many of its executives over the years. This issue is no different, and we… Read more »
As President of SOLARUNITED, Eric Ast is a busy man. And also being Global Business Development Manager Photovoltaics at Multi-Contact, makes him an even busier man. We managed to grab five minutes with the respected industry pioneer to ask him about the company and its current aspirations. PES: Welcome back to PES. How has business… Read more »
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 »
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 »
A recent event showcased the outputs from a Franco- British collaboration designed to reduce the cost of maintaining offshore renewable energy assets: theMer-Innovate project. We take a look at the state of play. On 18 March almost 50 delegates arrived at a venue fittingly situated by the coast at Portsmouth Harbour. As they crossed the… Read more »
As turbine inspection becomes an ever-more worthwhile and sought-after skill, it’s perhaps unsurprising that a mini-industry has been set-up to train the inspectors of tomorrow. We take a look at some of the options on offer… Certainly, DWPA promotes customised training courses tailored to the wind turbine industry, and when it comes to wind turbine… Read more »