Falling solar module prices in recent years mean it can be beneficial to oversize the DC capacity in PV plants. John Leslie of BTY presents findings from a study that suggests developers should, in certain cases, investigate using higher DC/AC ratio designs.
Amid an increasingly unpredictable environment and a rise in extreme weather events, the solar industry must properly use its available data to protect assets and reduce risks, writes Gareth Brown, CEO of digital asset performance technology provider Clir Renewables.
By Ajay Singh and Derek Jones at Campbell Scientific
While bifacial modules promise advantages in power production, they can create complex performance monitoring challenges. That will need to be resolved if project production uncertainties are expected to remain at levels and expectations currently set with the deployment of mono-facial modules, write Ajay Singh and Derek Jones of Campbell Scientific Inc.
Simone Mandica of asset manager WiseEnergy details how solar installations can be repowered to extend their service life and maintain high standards of technology.
While solar has been the backbone of Japan’s renewable energy push, deployment has been stalling in recent years. Chris Wilkinson of Rystad Energy details the benefits of the country’s feed-in premium scheme, the potential for corporate PPAs and the importance of battery storage.
By Rosa van Reyk, senior underwriter at GCube Insurance
A combination of supply chain disruptions and extreme weather events that damage operational assets can lead to extended solar project downtimes. Rosa van Reyk, a senior underwriter at GCube Insurance, explores how the industry can ease supply chain pressure by rethinking cost efficiency and increased collaboration between developers and insurers.
By Rob Marsh, Laura Kiwelu, Charlie Winch and Suncica Miletic at Norton Rose Fulbright
Innovative power purchase agreement structures enable solar asset owners to boost returns and leverage their positions while providing offtakers with the opportunity to protect against increasing electricity prices and enhance their decarbonisation efforts.
Building on the successes of floating PV projects installed on lakes and dams globally, offshore installations are an emerging opportunity for developers, potentially when co-located with wind farms. George Heynes explores how the industry can move beyond pilot projects to large-scale, commercially viable installations, detailing the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Cheap and quick to deploy, solar PV can provide a vital source of power to areas impacted by war, supporting critical infrastructure and helping to keep day-to-day life running.
Molly Lempriere details how the technology is helping communities in Ukraine and other war zones
By Brahim Aïssa, Juan Lopez-Garcia, Benjamin Figgis, Veronica Bermudez
Presenting findings on the exposure of PV panels to the harsh environment of the Arabian
Desert, a team from the Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute details the multiple
mitigation approaches to solar soiling.
