If you’re engaged in any way with your consumer, the chances are you’re plugged in to social media. But how effective have your efforts been? Is your content relevant? Giles Palmer, CEO of social media analytics company Brandwatch, gives us the four essential steps for putting together a useful social media report. As consumer social… Read more »
In many countries – Greece and Germany, for example – commercial rooftop solar is booming. Elsewhere, however, it is floundering. Gregory Barker presents his views on how big business can help boost uptake – and reap the rewards. Words: Gregory Barker, UK Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change Sola is a technology which… Read more »
SPI – Solar Power International – is North America’s premier business-to-business event for professionals in solar energy and related fields, and this year, the event heads to Las Vegas. PES presents an exclusive preview. Solar Power International (SPI) generates success for solar energy professionals and the global solar industry through an unbeatable combination of factors…. Read more »
The future grows darker for solar energy growth in Japan – but innovation may light the way. On the second anniversary of a scheme aimed at boosting Japan’s renewable energy after the Fukushima crisis, its powerful industry ministry is taking steps critics say will choke off solar investment and pave the way for a return… Read more »
As one of the PV world’s leading lights, Dow Corning Corporation is respected throughout the industry. Certainly, service plays a big part in this, but so does its commitment to relentless innovation. We put the questions to FranÁois Bertero, Dow Corning Global Solar Market Manager. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. For the benefit of… Read more »
Europe’s energy trilemma – achieving energy security, sustainability, and economic prosperity – is a hot topic right now, and is receiving attention from everyone from politicians to policymakers. But what exactly is it? Allow the IEA’s Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven, to explain all. We all know that coal dominated global energy production for… Read more »
Always an exciting and interesting contributor to PES magazine, FLIR is behind a scheme to monitor photovoltaic systems’ thermography from the air using drones. We find out more… The company Paul Kitawa (www.kitawa.de) is located in Calau, Germany and specialises in film productions. In addition to advertising, training, corporate image and product films, it provides… Read more »
The crisis of the photovoltaic industry is drawing to a close. While it is true demand for solar modules is dropping slightly in Europe, demand in many other regions is rising rapidly – even the producers of thin-layer modules which had been almost “written off” are investing in new factories again. Obviously, this is good… Read more »
An accomplished and adept organisation that is known for remaining one step ahead of the competition, GT Advanced Technologies is a leading light when it comes to innovation – and crucially, delivering a profitable outcome. We grabbed a few minutes with the company’s Jeff Nestel-Patt, Senior Director of Marketing. PES: The company is well known… Read more »
Any company that can survive the ups and downs of over 20 years in business must be doing something very right, and for IMT Solar – Ingenieurb¸ro Mencke & Tegtmeyer GmbH – getting things right is all part of the service. After all, quality counts, argues the company’s Dirk Tegtmeyer… PES: Welcome to the magazine…. Read more »
Words: Ruud Ringoir, Product Manager at Kipp & Zonen Instruments for monitoring solar radiation have been used in meteorology and climatology for almost a hundred years, but today they are also a common sight in solar energy. The data required differs for PV (Photovoltaic), CPV (Concentrated PV) and CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) applications, but they… Read more »
Today’s solar industry is built on carbon targets, but with several key countries set to miss their 2020 obligations, we ask: is our industry in jeopardy? Policy uncertainty and grid integration risks are driving a slowdown in global renewable energy deployment, especially in OECD economies, according to a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report. Clean… Read more »
Dutch specialist PV equipment manufacturer Levitech has developed a system that allowed mono-crystalline wafers to break the 20% efficiency barrier, resulting in considerable cost-of-ownership savings for high-volume solar cell manufacturers. Now they are able to demonstrate that this technology can extend to multi-crystalline wafers, taking them through the 19.5% barrier. Over the last several years,… Read more »
Are we moving towards more efficient, more effective methods of recycling PV waste? The experts at Loser Chemie GmbH certainly believe so… “If something isn’t done, everything will transform into a mouse grey mud”. That’s the way Boulding formulated his point of view concerning the fact that human waste leads to entropy bigger than the… Read more »
Words: Erik Lohse, Michael Fufl The quality of solar modules is not always as expected. However, a cost-efficient way to prove the quality on-site is by using mobile test centres – under the condition that measurements are performed and test results are implemented by well-trained and knowledgeable solar experts. Testing modules on-site can establish a… Read more »
An undoubtedly innovative and technically-brilliant company that is well known throughout the industry, meteocontrol GmbH is nevertheless perhaps less well known for its commitment to corporate responsibility and customer care. Dr. Daniel Faltermeier, Head of Quality Services PV, spoke to us about what makes the company tick. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to… Read more »
Multi-Contact (MC) is one of the pioneers of the PV industry, having developed the first professional photovoltaic connector on an industrial scale. For over 16 years the MC3 and MC4 have been the most successful connectors, showing best performance and reliability. The company’s success is based on long-term experience and expertise – we take a… Read more »
America’s solar cities revolution has been championed by President Obama himself – a genuine and influential advocate of renewables. Don’t believe us? Take a look at his recent DESPATCH on the subject… Changing the way we use energy is just one of the ways Americans have been working so hard to move this country forward…. Read more »
Process optimisation via infrared noncontact temperature measurement and temperature data logging and profiling. Raytek and DATAPAQ, two leading manufacturers of temperature measurement devices, are showcasing their products at glasstec in D¸sseldorf (21-24 October 2014), Hall 14, Stand A39. We take a look at what the two companies have to offer. Raytek offers a complete line… Read more »
As Solar Market Strategic Manager for Sensata Technologies, John Kluza has witnessed business evolution not just within his company, but in the wider solar arena. Here, he talks to PES about how Sensata is geared to meet that evolution and to capitalise on it. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to introduce your company… Read more »
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has been criticised for underestimating the potential of solar photovoltaics in its analyses. In this (personal) report, the author, himself a solar industry executive, compares IEA projections with a number of other sources and up to date industry data. He claims that the IEA consistently operates with much too pessimistic… Read more »
Words: Don Buck: Senior Manager, Service Business Development, SMA Many factors contribute to the success of a PV plant: professional design, top-quality components and precise installation, to name just a few. However, accounting for and choosing the right operations and maintenance (O&M) plan is vital to achieving maximum power production and long-term profitability. Because a… Read more »
smartblue AG maintains the long-term attractiveness of solar installations as investments by ensuring revenue security. Despite a period of consolidation, the momentum of the photovoltaic sector shows no sign of slowing down. Increasing cost pressures and strong international competition have led to rises in efficiency at every stage of the value chain. Technical and business… Read more »
Every year, we dissect the Renewables Global Status Report to discover the status of the PV industry, and this year is no different. Just published, the report is compiled by an international network of more than 500 contributors, researchers, and authors. It provides an unparalleled viewpoint of the market – and this time, there is… Read more »
The globalising solar industry is at a transformative point, benefiting from big technological gains and beset by big geopolitical fights. As the industry develops over the next decade and beyond, who will win, who will lose and how will those shifts play out? PES investigates… To illuminate the potential contours of tomorrow’s global solar industry,… Read more »
SiOxNy layers serve different functions in coated layer stacks including: diffusion barrier, scratch protection, and refractive index tuning. We report on the increase of coating process stability and layer quality of SiOxNy deposited on large areas using reactive MF dual magnetron sputtering with 1.6m long cathodes oriented in a vertical geometry. The process has been… Read more »
A trusted name in the solar industry for decades – Spitzenberger & Spies GmbH & Co. KG. – remains ahead of the rest when it comes to the capabilities of modern bi-directional inverters. In this article, we explore the use of battery energy storage systems in local PV installations and testing the performance of connected… Read more »
A goliath of the solar energy sector, Trina Solar has appeared in PES several times over the years. We’re very happy to welcome the company back to our pages, and particularly happy to catch up with Jing Tian, Director of Global Marketing. Jian talks us through the company’s most pressing priorities and presents an illuminating… Read more »
Words: Dean Middleton, Senior Sales Director – Renewable Energy, Trojan Battery Co., LLC Batteries are crucial to the success of PV systems, and yet capitalising on their true efficiency and longevity is often an afterthought. Dean Middleton offers his expert view… The single most important factor to consider when purchasing a deep-cycle battery for renewable… Read more »
Just 20 cities, representing just 0.1 per cent of the land area of the United States, account for 7 per cent of solar PV capacity in the country. These top 20 cities contain more solar power today than was installed in the entire U.S. just six years ago. PES investigates. Solar power is on the… Read more »
With nearly four decades’ experience at the cutting edge of the manufacturing sector, Victron Energy is an organisation with an impressive reputation for innovation and quality. We asked the company’s Managing Director, Matthijs Vader to give us an essential overview. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to tell us a little about the company… Read more »
VON ARDENNE develops and manufactures advanced vacuum coating equipment for the deposition of ultra-thin functional layers on materials such as glass, metal strip, wafers and polymer films. In this article, we take an exclusive look at the company and its latest product, XEA|nova. The German family-owned company VON ARDENNE’s key technologies are magnetron sputtering and… Read more »
A new company for the PV industry that is already catching the eye of customers and pre-eminent research institutions, WAVELABS is set to shake-up the sector with a unique interface and a fresh approach to business. We put the questions to the company’s Torsten Brammer, Thankmar Wagner and Jˆrn Suthues. PES: WAVELABS is a relatively… Read more »
Henk Kamp, The Netherland’s Minister of Economic Affairs opens the 29th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC 2014) on Monday, 22 September 2014, 10:00. Opening addresses are followed by Ms Marie Donnelly, European Commission, Director in DG Energy, Directorate Renewables, Research and Innovation, Energy Efficiency, and Fokko Pentinga, President of Amtech Systems,… Read more »
Engineered Material Systems, a leading global supplier of conductive interconnect materials for photovoltaic applications, will introduce its new 561-147 Snap Cure Conductive Adhesive in Hall 1, Booth E19 at EU PVSEC, scheduled to take place Sept. 23-25, 2014 at the RAI Convention & Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam. The low-cost adhesive is ideal for Heterojunction (HIT)… Read more »
Hanwha Q CELLS has teamed up with AGRenewables (AGR), to power up a 24.3 MW photovoltaic power plant for Ingenious Clean Energy in record-time. Despite severe weather conditions, the park in Stowbridge, Cambridgeshire, England, was constructed and grid-connected ahead of the changes in ROC at the end of March. More than 94,500 Q.PRO-G3 solar panels… Read more »