Features

The PV Expo exhibition and conference takes place in Japan this week and will look both to the present task of executing projects from a 50GW-plus pipeline and to the longer term challenges faced by an industry entering the final years of its feed-in tariff (FiT).

Tigo Energy has announced certification of its TS4 platform - the world's first universal junction box (Jbox) solution. The TS4 platform enables module manufacturers and installers to standardize on a single Jbox design that can feature any number of Module Level Power Electronic (MLPE) capabilities such as ‘Rapid Shutdown Safety’ and monitoring within a standardized platform, reducing inventory and labour costs compared with traditional solar PV installations.

Building a PV power plant is one thing; making sure it pays is a whole different game. Laura E. Stern explains the benefits of combining physical and financial solar asset management in maximising a plant’s profitability.

The inclusion of the investment tax credit (ITC) in President Obama’s 2016 budget is of course good news but it is the beginning not the end of the debate.

Lightweight crystalline PV modules promise a potentially large new market for solar, as well as addressing a variety of problems such as transportation costs. But further work is needed to establish their performance and durability, says Fraunhofer's Cordula Schmid.

The dark days for the PV equipment sector are nearing an end after three years of strict capital cash management and reduced R&D spending by cell and module manufacturers, brought on by chronic overcapacity. Mark Osborne speaks to Applied Materials' Jim Mullin for his thoughts on where PV cell technology is headed next.

Throughout 2014, there were widespread reports of China's struggles to hit ambitious PV targets set at the start of the year. Beijing-based solar expert, Frank Haugwitz, lays bare the difficulties China experienced and offers his analysis of what the year-end tally will be for Asian giant.

Last year saw a number of emerging solar markets begin to fulfil their potential, setting up some promising prospects for 2015. Josefin Berg, senior solar analyst at market research firm, IHS, discusses the emerging-market highlights of 2014 and what to expect in 2015.

Bifacial cell and module technologies are gradually finding their way into mass production. Radovan Kopecek and Joris Libal of ISC Konstanz explain why they think the future is bifacial.