PV Tech Power Papers

Despite India’s ambitious solar targets, challenges remain on policy, financing and grid infrastructure. Simon Yuen talks to experts in the solar industry to examine the challenges and opportunities in the Indian market.

Last year saw 96GW of distributed PV installed in China, an all-time record. But as Carrie Xiao reports, even as the distributed market segment begins to surge, problems associated with its rapid development are beginning to emerge

The market drivers that have spurred record solar growth in Europe in recent years are weakening as the energy crisis abates. JP Casey reports on the measures policymakers must implement to ensure Europe remains an attractive destination for the huge levels capital needed to finance the energy transition.

The first full year of the Inflation Reduction Act in the US has seen a flurry of transactions completed as solar developers and now manufacturers take advantage. Jonathan Tourino Jacobo looks at some of the emerging trends and future prospects in this lucrative new market.

Policies in the EU and US to impose a carbon price on imported materials and goods will inevitably hit solar manufacturers. Corrine Lin and Sherry Hsu assess where these costs will land and how the industry should be adapting in preparation.

The EU and US are leading efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of PV manufacturing through targeted import tariffs. As well as supporting decarbonisation efforts, such policies could also promote geographic diversification in the solar supply chain and greater supply resilience, writes Michael Parr of the Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance.

The foundations of a solar project offer multiple opportunities for driving down system costs. Arash Yazdani of PRI Engineering describes some of the key steps involved in investigating the specific conditions of a project site and developing a foundation design that will stand the test of time.

Cost and risk factors can make countries facing energy access issues the most difficult for developers to build solar projects, despite their huge potential. Tom Kenning reports on two plug-and-play solutions that may provide a solution in off-grid locations.

Replacing outdated inverters can significantly boost the yield of a PV power plant and rectify equipment failures. Jörn Carstensen of Germany-based greentech looks at the technical, financial and logistical considerations involved in a successful inverter repowering project.

As a fast-growing segment of the industry, floating solar is also a novel technology that comes with a variety of new operational risks. Bobby McFadden, kWh Analytics, Chris Bartle of Ciel & Terre and James Markos of Willis Towers Watson explore some of these and their implications from an insurance perspective.