Exclusive Articles
Big Power Investment Decisions Demand More Than A Wing A Prayer And A Consultants Report
Twan Vollebregt, CEO of Energy Fundamentals, investigates the current perils and pitfalls of investing in renewables… For anyone who has to make major investment decisions about power generation in Europe, we live in difficult times. What use are ten year forward curves when Germany decides to abandon nuclear power overnight? How can you make sensible… Read more »
European PV: the fightback has begun
Listen to some commentators and you could be forgiven for thinking that the solar/PV industry in Europe was on its knees, decimated by tariff cuts, economic crises and cheap imports. However, experts on the cutting-edge of the industry tell a different story, with many claiming that the ‘green shoots of recovery’ are well-established, while some… Read more »
Identifying efficiency losses in crystalline silicon solar cells made easy
Many solar cell developers may fancy a machine where you can put a solar cell in, push a button, and receive a full diagnostic report of the solar cell – instead of spending considerable time on the measurement equipment park and understanding the methods. This article describes how a complete analysis of a solar cell… Read more »
Another record year, another superb show
After another record year of growth in 2011, PV now represents 70 GW of cumulative installed capacity globally, and produces up to 4 per cent peak demand in Europe. It’s no wonder that EU PVSEC is also going from strength to strength – as this year’s show will doubtless testify. Even if the PV sector… Read more »
Fast in-line EVA cross-linking test
The quality of the cross-linking of EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) encapsulants is crucial for the market success of solar modules. Premium suppliers need their products to be ahead of competition not only by cost-effectiveness and by the efficiency of their modules. It is also the long-term stability of the modules that is receiving much attention by… Read more »
PV: driving the machine manufacturing sector
The worldwide stop on production capacity extension for solar modules is proving to be a heavy burden for the solar machine manufacturers. Nevertheless, no company wants to quit the PV sector, because the solar energy market is already set to pick up again in the medium term. Until this happens, the equipment suppliers are strengthening… Read more »
Tech focus: A novel circuit topology for the largest central inverter system
A maximum uptime is especially important for large commercial and utility-scale solar plants. Herein the inverter system plays a key role, being responsible for the maximum energy harvest. In order to meet the requirements of large solar parks even better, Dr. Marco Trova from Power-One and his team developed a new circuit topology and cooling… Read more »
Performance and efficiency measurements of outdoor PV systems
Founded in 2008, EKO Instruments Europe B.V. is a European centre of competence, offering products and services to the photovoltaic industry. The heart of its work is related to the provision of highly accurate and reliable solar radiation measurement equipment for outdoor use, as company Director, Dr Los, explains… Solar radiation is not only the… Read more »
Belgium: beating records, remaining profitable
Market analysts insist Belgium remains a profitable investment for solar manufacturers and consumers alike. Last year’s an annual growth of 737MW of solar capacity and high residential growth rates allayed fears brought on by the abolishment of tax reductions, and point to a very bright future indeed. Until the end of last year, photovoltaic panels… Read more »
High performance PV connector is internationally certified
PES takes a closer look at one of Multi Contact’s most-trusted pieces of equipment. With the MC4PLUS, Multi-Contact introduced a PV connector to the market which is especially designed for internationally operating module manufacturers. The MC4PLUS is the first connector worldwide to be recognised for both 1500 VDC TÜV and 1000 VDC UL, and within… Read more »
