Concentrated solar power has had a difficult year in the US, with several high-profile projects being turned down or shelved. But as Felicity Carus reports, it's a technology that still has some distance to run.
In an exclusive interview with PV Tech, Shunfeng’s executive chairman Zhang Yi talks about the company’s plans for Wuxi Suntech, its quest to drive new technology improvements, the scale of its multi-gigawatt power plant aspirations and possible expansion into other renewable energy markets.
Trade disputes with the Chinese are still rumbling on in the US and Europe. As Felicity Carus reports, although efforts are still ongoing to find a settlement, the only winners so far have been Taiwanese cell manufacturers.
As global PV demand gathers a new head of steam, brand-name equipment manufacturers are increasingly outsourcing production. Neo Solar Power's president Andy Shen tells Mark Osborne how his company is taking advantage of this trend.
With the cost of project finance in some emerging economies proving prohibitive, Holger Janke of solar manufacturer Soitec explains how project bonds could help fill the gap open up new markets.
FLEXcon has expanded its solar module backsheet ‘multiGUARD’ offering with the addition of Black/White and Black/Black products. The new, more aesthetically pleasing black backsheet products appeal to the high-end commercial market and a much greater portion of the residential market.
3D-Micromac has developed a novel, highly productive laser system for opening the rear sides of PERC cells. Innovative on-the-fly technology makes it possible to achieve an improved cost-benefit ratio. The system is modular, combinable with different laser-source technologies, and achieves a typical efficiency increase up to one percentage point.
The search is on for the next source of solar finance once the Investment Tax Credit winds, and some elaborate ideas are on the table. Just don't mention sub-prime mortgages, says Felicity Carus.
Although much of the focus of debate in the US has been around residential and commercial solar, utility-scale projects represent the largest segment in America's PV market. But as Felicity Carus, the days of the PV 'mega' project could be numbered.
