It has always been anticipated that by the early 2020s, the feed-in tariff would have tapered away in Japan’s booming solar market. Andy Colthorpe speaks with analyst Izumi Kaizuka at RTS Corporation to learn more about what the future holds for post-subsidy solar in Japan.
In arid regions soiling can greatly impact the energy yield of PV systems and drive up their O&M costs. Benjamin Figgis, Amir Abdallah, Maulid Kivambe, Brahim Aissa, Kamran Ali, Cédric Broussillou and Veronica Bermudez of the Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute and Klemens Ilse of the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics review the main challenges associated with soiling of PV plants globally, and the most promising techniques for dust prevention and cleaning in dry climates, drawing on research results from six years of PV performance and soiling studies at the QEERI’s Outdoor Test Facility in Doha
SPONSORED: During SNEC 2019 in Shanghai, PV Tech and Chinese conductive paste leader DK Electronic Materials (DKEM) discussed trends in metallization and interconnection and the need for close collaboration among the value-chain to drive innovation for efficient PV products.
A 10GW consultation exclusively for floating PV has been issued by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and it is conceivable that no such plans would be on the cards had it not been for the completion of a humbly sized but strategically significant project in the southern state of Kerala.
From technology trends breaking out at scale, China’s mind-blowing deployment, a certain trade case in the US and of course, one or two notable bankruptcies, 2017 was never short of drama. But which stories drew your attention in 2017?
SPONSORED: Frustrated with the racking systems on the market, former installation company Esdec designed its own. A decade on it is expanding its geographic footprint and on the hunt for new distribution partners.
Eritrea will soon join the global solar boom with a €5.7million fund bringing clean power to two rural villages that currently rely on small diesel generators.
The ransomware attack earlier this month brought global attention to the scale and sophistication that cybercrime can unleash. Amaranto Asset Management's Stefano Salerno tells PV Tech why it's time for the industry to take the problem seriously.
Behind the scenes of Enel Green Power Mexico's ground-breaking Villanueva solar farm. Paolo Romanacci, Enel’s head of renewable energies for Central America, explains how the project was won and how it serves the local community as much as the wider energy market.
Nuclear reactors approaching end-of-life, a sound PV manufacturing industry and a robust legal system all make a strong case for solar PV to muscle into Taiwan’s energy mix. Last year, a new government set a target of 20GW solar by 2025, but the industry must deal with scarce land availability and the threat of typhoons. PV Tech examines some of the huge numbers being proposed and what it will take to realise them.
