Allan takes an up-to-date look at the state of wind’s employment market and offers his personal take on how long-lasting improvements can be made. With world focus on the well-being of the earth and its environment, a tidal wave of interest – and more importantly, investment– is pouring into energy initiatives. Among the sources of… Read more »
Now in its 14th year, RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind 2015 is the heart of the world’s largest offshore wind market; alive with original ideas, unexplored opportunities, new challenges and, most importantly, a common aspiration of a brighter future powered by renewable energy. Aparna Chopde talks us through what delegates can expect from this essential event…. Read more »
A truly innovative company within the offshore wind supply chain, Coordinadora takes service to the next level by offering transportation solutions with the added benefit of engineering know-how. We spoke to the Spanish company’s Business Development spokesman, José Alegria. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to tell us a little about the company and… Read more »
A qualified marine engineer with many years’ experience in offshore wind applications, Peter Jørgensen is a well-known face in the industry. He joins us to discuss CWind’s experience and aspirations, while reinforcing the importance of SHEQ within the sector. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. For the benefit of new readers, would you like to… Read more »
Two renowned industry experts discuss how improved knowledge will be used to drive standardisation, as well as the development of new coatings and better structural solutions for a new generation of high-efficiency wind turbines. Energy has long been a ‘hot topic’ of political debate, but has recently gathered even more momentum, following the publication of… Read more »
A German company with an international reach, Loser Chemie GmbH has developed a number of critical processes that reduce the environmental impact of solar. And better still, they are working on ways of increasing the efficiency of installed PV systems. We spoke to two of the company’s leading lights: Ulrich Loser and Wolfram Palitzsch. PES:… Read more »
Thanks to many years of experience in engineering and development within the challenging, high quality level automotive industry, Hirschmann Automotive was able to raise the standard of connection technology for solar modules to a new level. As a result, they set new global standards of cost/benefit, reliability, and differentiation ability. We spoke once again to… Read more »
Installed solar photovoltaic capacity in the UK nearly doubled in 2014, from 2.8GW to over 5GW. In DECC’s April figures it was reported that overall UK solar PV capacity stood at 5,709MW at the end of March 2015 across over 680 thousand installations. This milestone achievement is testament to the hard work of Britain’s several… Read more »
Despite a challenging period in the German marketplace, Ingenieurbüro Mencke & Tegtmeyer GmbH endures, with a burgeoning international business and a positive outlook. In this refreshingly-candid interview Dirk Tegtmeyer looks back over the past few years, while casting his eye to a more encouraging future. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. How has business been… Read more »
We’ve tracked the continued success of Kipp & Zonen for a while in PES and indeed, have interviewed several of the company’s executives. In this issue, we headed back to The Netherlands for an interview with Paulien Adema (Business Manager), during which she discussed new products, global expansion and an increased focus on accuracy… PES:… Read more »
With three major new initiatives in progress in Europe alone, the industry is committed to removing PV’s last barrier: funding. We look at the efforts being made to help solar’s sums add up – including an ingenious crowd-funding initiative… Just this month it was revealed that Chinese solar companies, some already heavily indebted by massive… Read more »
There’s no doubt that the PV industry is doing its utmost to further its green credentials and one of the key battlegrounds is focussed around what to do with spent units and other consumables. PV CYCLE is leading from the front in this regard, with a range of innovative and effective options for importers and… Read more »
The use of a clear “ball lens” to concentrate light into a beam of energy may improve solar power efficiency by up to 50 percent, believes a PV pioneer. Plus, we take a look at some other solar innovations that may transform our industry. Over six years ago, futurist Ray Kurzweil stated that, within 20… Read more »
The cleaning of sensitive surfaces is a challenge. And according to Serbot AG, many operators of solar panel installations give away their profits because they are unaware of the effect that dirt has on their installations. PES investigates the Swiss company’s innovative, robotic solutions. Certainly, the surfaces on PV installations often still look good, but… Read more »
While manufacturer Spitzenberger & Spies have discussed the DC aspect of the solar inverter in previous PES articles, they return to PES today to discuss the impact of an inverter’s DC and AC aspects… In common solar installations the main focus of the owner is set to the maximum efficiency of the solar energy conversion…. Read more »
The PV industry has watched with interest as, in the last 12 months, Trina Solar finally became the number one crystalline module manufacturer globally, shipping over 3.6 GW to disparate markets. We asked Jing Tian, Trina Solar’s Head of Global Marketing, about the company’s sustained success and its plans for an even brighter future. PES:… Read more »
Would you exhibit Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa outside? In an environment with no fences or security? Looking after a piece of art in such an environment is not an easy task, and the same applies for any object of value in a PV power plant. viamon’s Bas Zapf talks us through the process… A… Read more »
As one of the world’s most important producers of standard testing chambers and systems for environmental simulation, stability testing and emissions testing worldwide, Weiss Umwelttechnik GmbH is a vital cog in the global PV machine. We quizzed Andrea Bodenhagen about the company’s pioneering work and commitment to continued innovation. PES: Welcome back to PES. For… Read more »
Heraeus Photovoltaics combines a rich corporate history in thick films with innovative technology to manufacture industry-leading front and back-side pastes for solar cell manufacturers around the world. The Heraeus silver pastes are specially formulated to provide higher efficiencies and wider processing windows, resulting in better yields and higher output for solar cell manufacturers. We’re delighted… Read more »
Quite possibly the most advanced and forward-thinking energy storage system producers in Europe, AutarcTech GmbH’s LiHome batteries feature an impressive Battery Management System (BMS) with active balancing and remote monitoring. We caught up with the company’s Patrick Cousins. PES: Welcome to PES. Can you explain a little about the company and outline how you serve… Read more »
BREYER’s extrusion system, CellProtect, allows the production of low shrinkage EVA encapsulation film at high production speed. Joachim Bormann talks us through the state of the market and the company’s innovative response. According to the latest quarterly update from Mercom Capital Group, llc (as well as other sources), the solar industry is forecasted to continue… Read more »
While we’re all committed to furthering solar’s growth,it’s worth remembering that many UK-based businesses can also capitalise on the technology through financing options. Ryan Davis looks at the best financing schemes available for businesses considering purchasing microgen technologies, arguing that they can prove to be an excellent investment opportunity. Issues surrounding the environment and energy… Read more »
Change management is a rapidly-growing discipline that enables individuals, teams, and organisations to transition to a desired future state. David Ferrabee talks us through the benefits of transformation at an organisational level. The rapidly shifting renewable energy sector brings with it disruption as well as huge potential opportunities. Those organisations which are agile and able… Read more »
With both Intersolar Europe and Intersolar North America on the agenda for thousands of PV executives this year, we’re delighted to present a preview of both of the essential shows. Where will you be heading this summer – Munich or San Francisco? MunichThe solar industry will take centre stage at Messe München from June 10-12,… Read more »
As PES was going to print, a cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister of India’s Madhya Pradesh, Mr Shivraj Singh, approved the proposal for commissioning the world’s largest solar power plant in the Rewa District. We take a look at the shining star of the solar world. As per projects announced until now, once… Read more »
An increasingly vital tool in today’s disaster zones, solar PV can bring safe, clean, portable power to those in greatest need. We take a look at the technology’s applications in this critical arena. Very few modern day phenomena have the ability to bring a nation to a standstill in the way that a natural disaster… Read more »
We’re delighted to welcome back François Bertero, Global Solar Market Manager for Dow Corning to the magazine – in what has been a momentous 12 months for the silicone specialists. The globally-recognised manufacturer has driven a new agenda that has taken in an increased focus on innovation and an ambitious expansion programme… PES: We see… Read more »
A well-established provider of market-leading performance monitoring and control of solar power systems, Draker Energy is a shining light in the PV industry. The company’s pioneering work became a key contributor to the rapid growth of the solar industry, allowing for validation and enforcement of incentive payment schemes around the world. To date, Draker’s monitoring… Read more »
Technology’s integration allows companies to streamline processes, says Simon Hobday, Energy Partner, Osborne Clarke. But, it’s also changing the model of how consumers use energy, and how companies provide it. Since the turn of this century, increasing concern about climate change has driven a dramatic growth in renewable generation across Europe. Power plants have become… Read more »
After years of use, technically complex inverters may fail or suffer from defects. Fronius is offering PV system owners a simple modernisation solution… The inverter is defective and the warranty has expired. The required service is not available. The PV system does not produce the expected yield. There is a high feed-in tariff and a… Read more »
Simon Phipps, CEO of Dragon Infrastructure Solutions, draws on his expertise and experience at the helm of the UK’s leading independent connections provider for large scale solar connections, to explore what we can expect from the solar market for the rest of 2015 and beyond. There is no question that the era of substantial large… Read more »
When we caught up with Peter Heise of GFC (GFC AntriebsSysteme GmbH) in the last issue, the talk was mostly about the company’s wider commercial opportunities and solutions. Today, our conversation turns to the technical excellence that the company is known for… PES: Welcome back to PES. For the benefit of new readers, would you… Read more »
With the Cape Wind project in peril, we ask if the country’s faltering sector can ever flourish (and what lessons can be learned from Europe’s flourishing market). It was recently announced that the developer of Cape Wind has terminated contracts to buy land and facilities in Falmouth and Rhode Island, the latest sign that the… Read more »
The Netherlands has long been leading the charge for offshore wind, and Netherlands Maritime Technology is helping to forge an even more fruitful future by bringing together various stakeholders to provide a resourceful service. We grabbed five minutes with Managing Director, Peter Zoeteman. PES: Would you like to introduce your organisation and explain a little… Read more »
As an experienced Offshore Shipbroker, Anders Helsinghoff Fjord has his finger on the pulse of the market both in Europe and further afield. The spokesman for North Sea Shipbrokers ApS tells us about the state of the industry and explains what today’s wind clients are looking for in their vessels (to purchase or charter). PES:… Read more »
The campaigning group Oceana has released a new report that finds offshore wind would produce twice the number of jobs and twice the amount of energy as offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. We report on the allegations levelled at the two energy sectors. The report, titled Offshore Energy by the Numbers, An Economic Analysis… Read more »