In an exclusive dispatch for PES, Upsolar’s Enrico Carniato shares why ‘staying lean,’ ‘being green,’ and ‘venturing downstream’ represent the cornerstones of sustainable growth in the PV industry. In the not-so-distant past, solar PV was a nascent market with few technology providers and customers who primarily turned to renewables for the environmental good. Today, PV… Read more »
A regular on the global exhibition circuit, the family-owned company VON ARDENNE has just returned from Intersolar, where delegates were able to get a closer look at its range of advanced vacuum coating equipment for the photovoltaic and solar thermal industry. We caught up with the firm and found out for ourselves what makes it… Read more »
Considering expanding your operation into the bustling ‘new’ U.S. market? You’d be in good company and the rewards are surely there for the taking. However many international firms come up short, as Haresh Patel of Mercatus explains. Here, he outlines how to succeed where others have failed. At the recent Intersolar in San Francisco, the… Read more »
The European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) is upon us once again and the 2013 show promises an even wider audience, with early registration figures confirming an accelerated trend towards further globalisation. We take a look at the stats and offer an insight into the conference itself. Advance figures of EU PVSEC… Read more »
Solar Power International (SPI), one of the solar energy industry’s most powerful and comprehensive educational conference and product exhibitions, will be held this October in Chicago, Illinois. We take a closer look. More than 15,000 exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees from the solar energy world (and related fields) will come together for four days of action-packed… Read more »
The impressive success so far of the German Energiewende (energy turnaround) is vital to the wider PV industry in that the country is cloudy, high-latitude, heavily industrialised and highly competitive. Nevertheless, there are doubters who are quick to point out when it falters – a short-sighted move, given the undisputable facts… While the examples of… Read more »
Concentrated Solar Power is a technology that’s in a global ascendancy right now, and it seems that small components can be key in helping it achieve the Holy Grail of Grid Parity. It’s all about getting the balance right… The last few years have been rocky for the solar energy industry. The on-going effects of… Read more »
PLATINUM GmbH, headquartered in Wangen im Allgäu, Germany, is a leading provider of premium photovoltaic solutions. The company’s portfolio ranges from inverters to energy management solutions, with quality and efficiency at the forefront of their operation. PES takes a look… The quality, performance and reliability of all PLATINUM products are based on comprehensive expertise and… Read more »
PV is a pioneering industry in so many regards, and we at PES are proud to feature companies that have made such a big difference to technological innovation – and the wider planet. Today we welcome ECM Greentech, courtesy of company spokesman, Benjamin Deneux. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to begin by introducing… Read more »
Dr. Alexander Los, Director of EKO INSTRUMENTS Europe B.V. talks us through the complex (yet ever-more understood) world of forecasting – crucial for an effective PV undertaking. Forecasting wind and solar radiation is probably one of the most complex topics in the renewable energy generation process. The variable and intermittent character of renewable energy sources… Read more »
We go back time and again to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association publications for one very simple reason: they’re the most reliable, and the most incisive, industry barometers available. And this newly-released report is no different, collating as it does all the essential data from our global sector. We’re poud to present an exclusive extract…. Read more »
Quality assurance is of fundamental importance for solar panels. The failure-free operation of the panels is a prerequisite for efficient power generation, long life, and a high return on the investment. To ensure this failure free operation a fast, simple and reliable method to evaluate a solar panel’s performance is required, both during the production… Read more »
Advances are being made in the field of concentrating optical units – and silicones are leading the charge. Inexpensive optics can cut down on precious solar-cell surface area – this is the basic idea behind photovoltaic concentrators. Many manufacturers use concentrating optics composed of Fresnel lenses to achieve this aim. The lens system is increasingly… Read more »
While some European countries have effectively snubbed growing PV markets by slashing FiTs, several fresh untapped markets are emerging in different parts of the planet. We identify the world’s new solar hotspots… In 2011, Europe accounted for more than 70 per cent of the world’s new PV installations; in 2012 this number was around 55… Read more »
It is no secret that manufacturing success in Europe lies not in attempting mass production on the scale seen in Asia, but in creating the technical and process solutions that are needed to serve this mass production. These are the dedicated and highly-technical companies making new and clever equipment needed by vital and growing global… Read more »
One of the industry’s leading module recycling companies, Loser Chemie GmbH develops and distributes future-oriented and environment-friendly products, plants and processes. It’s currently focussing on getting the very most out of PV recycling, but as Dr. Wolfram Palitzsch (CTO) and Ulrich Loser (CEO) observe, there are a few obstacles that need to be negotiated along… Read more »
We take a look at this ambitious Scottish design, which posed an immense challenge for its project planners due to its steep inclination of almost 45 degrees…Tom King has come full circle. The managing director of Sustainable Renewable Technologies (SRT) began his career as a land surveyor in the coal mining industry in exactly the… Read more »
A well-established company that enjoys an excellent reputation as an optical metrology solution provider in Europe, omt has been servicing the PV sector since the mid-2000s. Since then, the company has gone on to introduce its industrial Raman microscope and, just last year, the 3-in-1 microscope. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. When we last… Read more »
imon and Sarah are part of a working group co-ordinated by Carbon Leapfrog which is assisting community energy project, MOZES, to challenge the UK Government’s policy on state aid and community energy projects. Here, they outline the impact of the policy and compare to elsewhere within continental Europe where the legislation has been more liberally… Read more »
Self-consumption of solar energy is on the rise as Feed-in Tariffs decline and electricity prices go up. This is an interesting option, not only for house-owners, but also for companies and communities as the case of the AmeyCespa waste treatment plant shows. Power Purchase Agreements are one way to use the energy of the sun… Read more »
The Organic PhotoVoltaics (OPV) shared research program addresses efficiency, lifetime and production costs for (near) future OPV applications. The balance of these three parameters depends on the envisaged application, but in the end, OPV should be able to compete somehow with Si PV in the future. We take a look at the notable collaborative work… Read more »
Introducing the high-level photovoltaic simulator PVS from Spitzenberger & Spies. The amount of generated energy of a solar panel field (and therefore the profitable efficiency) mainly depends on varying weather conditions such as cloudiness and adverse weather situations. To achieve the maximum energy rate at heavily varying irradiation, modern intelligent solar inverters are used. The… Read more »
Why Europe’s PV industry should encourage Chinese collaboration Since 2011, Europe’s photovoltaic industry has been in the midst of a crisis. Companies across the solar value chain are struggling, forcing layoffs and lowering growth projections over the coming years. By promoting tariffs and policies that aim to encourage the development of Europe’s PV industry by eliminating… Read more »
A privately-held Swiss corporation that is a pioneer in the field of software solutions for the renewable energy sector, Vela Solaris AG is one of the leaders in the global market, combining software innovation with expertise in renewable energy – with a particular focus on solar. We caught up with the company’s visionary Managing Director,… Read more »
The sun may provide us with unlimited free energy, yet the solar modules that capture its rays and turn them into power have a shorter lifespan than their source. At some point they reach their end of life and have to be disposed of as electrical waste in line with applicable legislation. This produces a… Read more »
The German family-owned company VON ARDENNE develops and manufactures advanced vacuum coating equipment for the photovoltaic and solar thermal industry, the architectural glass coating market, and the web coating market. We take a closer look at the company, which is constantly identifying and analysing market trends throughout these industries in order to strengthen and broaden… Read more »
We’re delighted to welcome back Hirschmann Renewable Energy to the magazine. The company presents a thought-provoking essay on the reported decline of quality in the solar industry and offers its own solutions… Most of us respond when asked, believe that energy is obviously one of the most important fundamentals of our being on this planet…. Read more »
Consistently rated among the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Germany, LayTec in-line GmbH is a global market leader of in-situ metrology and has made its services available to the PV industry since 2008. We’re delighted to welcome the organisation back to the magazine and to grab five minutes to put our questions to company… Read more »
The latest tit-for-tat EU-China trade disputes could signal worse to come, and both sides have a lot to lose if things get out of hand and harm the much-needed economic growth they seek. PES asks: with so much to lose, what’s to gain? In May this year, China and the EU have locked horns over… Read more »
This illuminating personal insight is care of Andrew Jones, Managing Director, EMEA, of S&C Electric Company. Can the UK – not to mention other industrialised European nations – learn from Kenya when it comes to smart grids? Very much so, argues Andrew… Adoption of smart grid technology in emerging markets is rising, and fast. It… Read more »
With severe oversupply and recently crashing polysilicon prices, module prices have dropped precipitously – as low as $0.70/W from top-tier Chinese players. However, the cost of goods sold (COGS) for modules has largely not reached this level, resulting in massive net losses for a majority of module manufacturers. With pressure from competitors, customers, and policy-makers… Read more »
Longstanding contributors to the magazine, Merck, and RENA deliver an upgrade concept that opens the door to excellent profitability. PES explains more…We are living in turbulent times and, where there is overcapacity and shrinking margins, solar cell manufacturers tend to look for solutions that will improve competitiveness and profitability. And while short-term strategies are necessary,… Read more »
A leading global supplier of solar charge controllers and inverters, Morningstar Corporation has been at the forefront of innovation, technical excellence and customer service for over two decades. We caught up with Lee Gordon, the company’s President and CEO, to ask him about his views on the industry and to discover just how he’s managed… Read more »
John Sylvester, motivation expert and Executive Director of P&MM Motivation, discusses how an engaged workforce can benefit the solar industry and contribute towards its growth. Maximising staff performance is fundamental to the success of any organisation, no matter what their industry, but it is of particular importance when cost controls are at a premium yet… Read more »
Longstanding contributors to PES, Multi-Contact is one of the leading manufacturers of PV connector systems worldwide with more than 15 years of experience in the field, offering solutions for all kinds of installations. We take a look at the MC portfolio of original connectors. MC is a true pioneer in PV connectivity; in 1996, the… Read more »
State-of-the-art battery performance and the innovative design of power electronics have created commercially viable storage systems. Combined with PV or co-generation at home, E3/DC has created significant volumes in Germany based on professional, industrial production and a new product architecture. Andreas Piepenbrink, founder and CEO, explains the company and product strategy. Demand for storage: motivationEnergy… Read more »