With the number of bifacial solar projects now rapidly growing, more is being understood about how to design and build systems that play to the technology’s main strengths. Drawing on recent experiences in the field, Beth Copanas and James Willett from RES outline some of the technical lessons learned on realising bifacial’s full potential.
‘Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Trina Solar expects its recently introduced high-performance ‘Duomax V’ bifacial double-glass panel and ‘Tallmax V’ (backsheet) series panel nameplate capacity to reach around 5.5GW by the end of 2020.
Trina Solar has launched its latest ‘Duomax V’ bifacial double-glass panel and ‘Tallmax V’ (backsheet) series panel. Based on the 210mm x 210mm large-size silicon wafer and monocrystalline PERC cell, the new panels enable high power output of more than 500Wp and module efficiency up to 21%.
JP Morgan’s majority-owned multinational independent power producer (IPP) Sonnedix has brought online a 38.7MW PV plant in southern Japan, while an analyst has said the country’s solar industry continues to target cost reductions to bring it in line with global levelised cost of energy (LCOE) figures.
Jinko Solar CTO Hao Jin speaks to PV Tech’s Carrie Xiao about the manufacturer’s ongoing commitment to R&D, the need for new capacity expansions and how solar’s technology envelope continues to evolve.
In this second part, we will talk about some of the companies preparing for business in the solar market in post-feed in tariff (FiT) Japan and the close links with energy storage that this market is strongly expected to rely on.
German energy firm EnBW is set to build a 187MW solar power plant northeast of Berlin in Werneuchen, Brandenburg that is planned to operate for 40 years.
Though the show was low key compared to the sometimes over-the-top, colourful and crowded affairs of previous years, at least it did take place. Andy Colthorpe reports back.
The ‘Retrofit AR’ coating, an offspring of DSM’s industry-leading anti-reflective (AR) coatings, gives older, uncoated solar modules an instant energy boost of up to 3%, according to lab and field tests. For power plants built before 2012, it is an especially attractive way to increase yield while keeping feed-in tariffs high and boosting internal rate of return (IRR), compared to panel replacement programs.
Market research firm IHS Markit believes the PV inverter replacement market will increase by around 40% in 2020, creating an 8.7GW need outside new global installations.
