High purity argon (greater than 99.999%) is used as a shield gas in the production of silicon ingots, to be fabricated into wafers for solar cells and micro-electronic devices. The argon is used to control the impurity levels present during the manufacturing process to an acceptable level. In response to rising costs, the trend in… Read more »
Gantner has been selected numerous times to supply complete monitoring solutions for new, large solar power plants in e.g. Egypt, Denmark, Thailand and the Netherlands. In the past 12 months we have repeatedly confirmed our position as a leading global player in utility scale PV industry. After participating in two 50MW projects in Kazakhstan previously,… Read more »
PES brings you the latest exciting news from EKO. With the constant increase of PV projects globally and new standards in place, there is an increasing requirement for a compliant and cost-effective solution to monitor plant performance. Last year was another successful year for the Photovoltaic (PV) market, with approximately 96 GW of PV installed… Read more »
Solar panel manufacturers strive to minimize cost and maximise efficiency of their modules. Their success is confirmed by the substantial decrease in $/Wp factor for the modules. In 2006, crystalline silicon based module prices were approximately 5.2$/Wp. By 2017, this had dropped to 0.42$/Wp, over an order of magnitude decrease in ten years. There has… Read more »
Chip Palombini, Director of Energy Storage at Dynapower Company, LLC, Vermont US, was full of enthusiasm when PES caught up with him. Customers value their complete energy storage solutions, which they deploy world wide to commercial and utility-scale companies. PES: Welcome to PES Solar/PV magazine, it’s great to talk with you. would you like to… Read more »
Ron Corio is the founder of Array Technologies, pioneers of solar tracking technology. Array Technologies built its first tracker for bifacial modules in 2009 and has been studying bifacial modules coupled with utility scale trackers at a test-site for the last year, and recently launched a new partnership with a national laboratory in New Mexico…. Read more »
Monica Manara, CCO Photovoltaics, for Coveme gave PES a frank interview on the ups and downs in the PV market. This company has been in photovoltaics since the beginning and is still finding new, innovative and technological advances to share with their customers. They have invested in two R&D sites to further these developments. PES:… Read more »
Infrastructure is not a short-term investment. Once installed, these critical systems have to remain useful for at least 20 years. Public utilities looking to invest in solar power and other renewable energy systems face pressure to ensure that these systems are cost-effective and meet the energy demand. As the cost of solar power has come… Read more »
PES had a very thought-provoking discussion with Matt Perry, who is a Technical Product Manager and co-founding member of the Renewable Energy Group, as well as the Chair of the Sustainability Committee, at Campbell Scientific, Inc. He also serves on the Logan City Renewable Energy and Conservation Advisory Board. Outside of work, Matt spends time… Read more »
Backsheets are the important components of a solar PV panel. It is essential that they are of high quality to avoid degradation, unnecessary maintenance, and replacements, which all add to the costs and in turn decrease the user’s profit margin. PES gets the latest from Bischof + Klein on their new generation backsheets using their… Read more »
The fundamental standards for manufacturing semiconductors and solar cells are as concise as they are clear – they demand absolute protection of people and the environment against chemicals, while simultaneously protecting ultrapure chemicals from contamination. Lately of course, the requirement for highly efficient processes has been added. It is surprising that still little is known… Read more »
Leonardo Botti, Global Head of Product Management ABB, reviews the impact of Blockchain and how digitalization can support the technology’s adoption. In 2009 a new disrupter finance model was launched- BitCoin. It heralded a new era in how currency and transactions were made and transferred globally. The emergence and rising popularity of this new cryptocurrency… Read more »
PES caught up with the joint managing directors of Isovoltaic Solinex, DI Thomas Rossegger and Mag. Matthias Meinl. They lead a very experienced team in backsheet technology and have customers all over the globe. Their latest offering is polypropylene-based and out performs similar products on the market. R&D and innovation remains a constant quest. PES:… Read more »
PES caught up with the joint managing directors of Isovoltaic Solinex, DI Thomas Rossegger and Mag. Matthias Meinl. They lead a very experienced team in backsheet technology and have customers all over the globe. Their latest offering is polypropylene-based and out performs similar products on the market. R&D and innovation remains a constant quest. PES:… Read more »
PES introduces the C-bed Floating Hotels, a worldwide pioneer within offshore accommodation and project services, providing home from home comforts to offshore crew. C-bed believes that you deserve to be treated well when you work hard offshore and are away from your family. So, they have designed their ships to be almost better than home…. Read more »
The renewables market, particularly wind, is a key sector for ALE. Building on experience in the power sector, we have used our knowledge and expertise to develop smarter solutions to the challenges created by the increasing heights of wind turbines and associated components. In relation to the on-shore wind enery market, ALE offers a bespoke… Read more »
Times have changed over the last 50 years in our industry. PES has had the pleasure to witness the ever improving quality, health, safety, environment (QHSE) implemented in company policies both on and offshore. Read on to find out what is happening at Glomar Offshore. In Glomar Offshore, as an owner and operator of 20… Read more »
PES is delighted to bring you this latest advanced technology solution from ZF Wind Power. Over the last few years total wind turbine noise, which is mainly generated by the interaction of the wind and the wind turbine structure, has changed from being one of the properties of a wind turbine to a true differentiator… Read more »
Following the recent news, widely published in the industry and national press regarding a number of offshore wind farms, it seems that last year’s end of warranty inspections highlighted unprecedented amounts of offshore wind turbine, blade leading edge erosion, across several offshore wind farms in Europe. As the offshore wind industry enters the 2018 season… Read more »
S&P Global Ratings rated its first onshore wind project in 2003. Since then, the renewable energy sector has undergone tremendous expansion. In the past decade alone, its compound annual growth rate has totalled 20%, thanks largely to the rising awareness of how using fossil fuels for power generation contributes to climate change. In Latin America… Read more »
Achieving the correct bolt pretension is essential in assuring bolted joint integrity. Bolted joints are critical when ensuring the safe operation of wind turbines or other similar bolted connections. In this context, ultrasonic measurement has proven to be a very accurate and cost-effective solution when installing new bolts, as well as when evaluating existing bolts… Read more »
Although wind power remains broadly powerful as a renewable resource, opposition to wind farms is nothing new. For supporters, wind seems to offer something for everyone: carbon-free electricity, construction and maintenance jobs, and competitive utility rates. Still, wind farms are not accepted by all, and criticism of new wind installations around the world has effectively… Read more »
PES wanted to know more about how Peterson is applying a collaborative approach, together with transferring expertise and know-how to become a top player in offshore wind and renewables logistics. Sander G van Helvoort, Business Manager Wind & Renewables, Peterson was happy to help with this. The global energy industry is currently under-going a change… Read more »
Anders Fjord, CEO for North Sea Hagland Shipbrokers, met up with PES to tell us about the changes in the company over the last couple of years. The company has expanded, there is an increase in demand for more vessels, with higher specifications from the renewables market and new horizons opening in the US and… Read more »
The past ten years has seen a massive step change in the renewable energy sector. It is becoming one of the most innovative industries, continually evolving to deliver greater value to wind farm owners and to provide a future-proof solution for our global energy demands. With the demise of subsidy driven economics, the industry has… Read more »
The battery storage market is expanding and domestic and community users are expected to install small-scale batteries. This is linked to coal phase out and cold waves, such as The Beast from the East. PES invited Keith Robertshaw, Business Development Director from N-ERGY Power Solutions to clarify the link and explain why the batteries market… Read more »
We look into the increasing importance of geophysical and geotechnical pre surveys in the offshore wind market. MMT is a Marine survey company that is leading the way in this specialist area. PES: Welcome back to PES Wind magazine. Thanks for talking with us. For the benefit of our new readers would you like to… Read more »
With the continuous progression of the offshore wind industry we find more operators than ever searching for effective and efficient solutions to their operations. In the wind energy sector, modular units can be placed on a huge variety of vessels and barges to accommodate the manpower required during the commissioning phase of the projects. Accommodation… Read more »
Compared to all other vessel type markets worldwide, the Crew Transport Vessel (CTV) is developing the fastest. According to MHO&Co A/S, the perfect CTV has yet to be built and as soon as the next generation is launched, there will be new requirements from a forever developing business. PES was intrigued and went to find… Read more »
Wind energy is proven to be a reliable way of producing clean renewable energy, and the net inflow of financial investors reflects that the industry has matured. Wind energy is clean and safe and simply constitutes a smart investment. The business will, however, see some challenges going forward. Generating new electricity has always depended on… Read more »
The offshore industry is now recognising the potential of utilising hybrid power linked to innovative propulsion systems. However, the cost of adopting hybrid technology on retrofit projects and new vessels requires a viable business case to justify higher capital expenditure (CAPEX). Offshore maritime cannot afford to go ‘green’ for no reason; there simply is not… Read more »
Offshore wind is all the rage right now, competing without subsidies, floating into deeper waters with new foundation designs and bigger turbines. For all its promise, however, offshore wind remains mostly a European affair, with more than 15 gigawatts of capacity installed in European waters by the end of 2017 and less than two gigawatts… Read more »
For a long time we at PES have been saying that components in the wind industry are getting bigger and bigger and obviously this includes the tools of the trade. How much more increase can there be in size and how does this affect the weight? Huisman from the beginning Before looking at the developments… Read more »
PES asked Steve Sawyer, Secretary General at GWEC for his outlook on the future of the wind industry markets. Will prices continue to fall or have they reached their lowest point? Where is the market increasing? Where is it slowing down? Read on and find out… The global wind power market remained above 50 GW… Read more »
PES once again brings you an inside preview, this time of Global Offshore Wind 2018. Don’t miss out, book your tickets and come along to the biggest offshore conference of 2018. The industry is currently on a high and there is expectancy in the air. Offshore wind has massive potential. But what are the pathways… Read more »
The rapid market expansion, in offshore generated wind power, requires a new approach towards offshore access for maintenance of wind generators. Two experts in access systems, Willem Prins and Marco Klitsie, developed a totally new and patented access method for which solid investors and building partners have already been found. The EAGLE-ACCESS SYSTEM will be… Read more »