Exclusive Articles
State aid, community energy, the European Commission and UK Government policy
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 »
Harvesting the sun for production
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 »
Towards low cost, efficient and stable Organic Photovoltaic Modules
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 »
We can make the weather
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 »
Driving growth by working together
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 »
Solar software offers a dependable solution
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 »
After sundown: recycling solutions for PV modules
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 »
Setting new standards in product quality and reliability
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 »
Diversifying in a changing market
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 »
Europes Big Gamble
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 »
