PV Tech Power Papers

PV’s rise to the mainstream finds it now inextricably linked to an economy tumbling towards recession. Players approached by José Rojo acknowledge the disruption but believe the chaos may hand the industry a chance to become a core part of a new world rebuilt along green lines.

From manufacturing and logistics constraints to power price collapses, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are being felt throughout the entire solar supply chain. Liam Stoker details the impacts on the industry and how they have been mitigated.

Since its emergence, the novel coronavirus has spread quickly across the world causing untold disruption. Liam Stoker and José Rojo detail how the pandemic has affected the clean energy economy to date.

With Japanese companies keen to learn from their counterparts in deregulated energy markets such as the UK, the Japan Energy Challenge provided the ideal forum for exchanging ideas. Andy Colthorpe reports.

Ensuring battery systems used in conjunction with solar perform safely and optimally is essential in ensuring the continued roll-out of storage technology. Robert Puto and Gerhard Klein of TÜV SÜD examine independent technical assessments that must be undertaken before a storage system is built.

Last year saw large-scale storage come of age in the USA and Canada, with some heavyweight storage portfolios starting to take shape. Speaking to four leading North American developers, Andy Colthorpe takes the pulse of a market poised for growth.

Paul Verrill, director of energy data analyst EnAppSys, explains how renewable energy generation and the integration of smart grid technologies and efficient energy storage systems can create a sustainable power system for the future.

On 1 January this year, the solar investment tax credit, responsible for fuelling the rapid growth of the US market, began its decline. Cecilia Keating assesses what impact it will have.

As utility-scale PV projects continue to spread across the United States, Mark Bolinger, Joachim Seel, and Dana Robson of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory cover key technology and market trends in this synopsis of their annual “Utility-Scale Solar” report series.

Micro-grids can offer a resilient and secure alternative for both rural and city communities. Molly Lempriere looks at some of the micro-grids around the world that are transforming the way neighbourhoods produce and consume electricity.