Exclusive Articles
Capabilities of modern bi-directional inverters
Using battery energy storage systems in local PV installations and testing the performance of the connected solar inverters. A discussion, courtesy of Spitzenberger & Spies GmbH & Co. KG. The longstanding problem when using photovoltaic energy harvesting is the night, when no energy production is available. Yet, several ways are currently being discussed to supply… Read more »
New markets, new opportunities
While regular readers will be well acquainted with Upsolar products and services, the thinking behind the company’s expansion strategy has always remained behind closed doors – until now. We speak exclusively to Roy Li, Managing Director of Asia Pacific, and Ioannis Markatatos, General Director of Turkey and Greece, to find out more about the organisation’s… Read more »
Getting to grips with PV module security
An often overlooked aspect of the PV sector, module theft is becoming increasingly common – particularly in rural or remote areas. We spoke to Oliver Strecke, Managing Director of monitoring company Viamon, to discover what can be done to counter the problem. PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Would you like to take this opportunity to… Read more »
A new wafer coating system is born
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 – set to be introduced at this year’s Intersolar Europe. The German… Read more »
Solar Generation On Landfill Sites A Winning Formula
A resources solution that has been successfully deployed on a number of closed sites in Germany, solar farms located on waste sites could offer the ultimate win/win for renewable energy generation.Words: Adrian Lea, Technical Director, Wardell Armstrong With soaring energy prices, challenging emissions targets and the demand for greater security of supply, any imaginative and… Read more »
Word on the tweet
We unveiled this feature and in our last issue, and it’s taken our readers by storm. Are YOU up to speed when it comes to the wonderful world of solar? We prescribe regular doses of PES and the occasional look at Twitter for diverse nuggets of information like these… The White House @WhiteHouseFACT: Solar power… Read more »
Maximising solar PV portfolio returns
Words: Ian Rose, Professional Services Director at PassivSystemsThe way we monitor solar PV panels is the difference between an investment fully realised and an investment exposed to unnecessary risk, argues Ian in this essential column… The solar market has endured a rollercoaster ride as government incentive levels have fluctuated, driving large peaks and troughs in… Read more »
Cutting costs in PV
Glass innovations come into focus at a testing time for the industry. PES investigates… Although the costs for solar power have come down considerably lately, photovoltaics are still unable to compete with conventional energy sources. The “last mile” to competitiveness will therefore prove difficult for the sector: cell and module production have already been rationalised… Read more »
Is Germany losing its energy edge?
The German Energiewende (energy transition) – once an international model – threatens to disintegrate. Now is the time to develop a common European energy strategy, experts say. PES reports. “Germany would be well-advised to start looking beyond the edge of its nose on energy policy”, warned Bert Rürup, former “economic wise man” and director of… Read more »
PV measurement matters
In this exclusive technical feature, Klaus M. Schulte of PV-Engineering GmbH outlines how monitoring and measuring can make a vital difference to the effectiveness of a PV system – and how conventional methods may not provide the best feedback. Photovoltaic systems generally do not contain serviceable elements, which is one of the main advances of… Read more »
