The Indian government has sought industry feedback on the concept of establishing a polysilicon manufacturing hub in the country. Matthias Grossman looks at how such a proposal would fare in the currently unsettled global poly market.
The production of crystalline Silicon (c-Si) solar cells and thin-film modules has moved from a small quantity niche product to global volume markets and mass production scale. A review of the evolution in process technology of this young industry reveals laser processing to have played an ambiguous role in the last 15 years.
If you want to understand the strength of the case for solar in Saudi Arabia, examining the country's peak load is a good place to start. First Solar's Osama al Othman explains why the country's power problems are ripe for a solar solution.
By Jyoti Gulia, senior manager, market intelligence, at Bridge to India
2015 was a landmark year for the Indian solar industry, with the 100GW by 2022 target approved and a significant ramp up of deployment. Bridge to India's Jyoti Gulia discusses the challenges ahead regarding project delays, transmission infrastructure and financing.
China has set some ambitious targets for solar deployment over the next five years. Frank Haugwitz assesses what policy and power sector reforms will be required to enable these goals to be met.
In early 2015, snow and ice in parts of North America created unexpected problems for solar plant operators. As winter approaches once again, Gwen Bender reflects on the challenges of keeping a project running profitably in harsh weather conditions.
Encapsulation is a key aspect of module durability, yet less effort is made to assess the quality of this process during manfuacture. Christian Honeker describes a new test procedure designed to improve the quality control of lamination and thus promote overall module performance.
