PV Tech Power Papers

The question of whether to use valuable land for farming or solar power generation has been a subject of fierce debate in the green energy transition. But, as Boris Farnung, Maximilian Trommsdorff and Stephan Schindele of Fraunhofer ISE write, the two activities need not be in conflict with each other and, with a new generation of solar technologies, can in fact be mutually beneficial.

Complexity, pricing and regulatory hurdles remain key obstacles for the corporate PPA market to overcome. But as Andrew Hedges, Caileen Kateri Gamache and Lee Donovan of Norton Rose Fulbright write, ongoing procurement innovations and new players entering the market suggest this will be a crucial route market for solar for some time to come.

In the US and a number of other major solar markets, merchant solar projects are emerging to fill the gap left by declining subsidies. Jay Bartlett of Resources for the Future looks at the risks and opportunities for merchant PV as it finds its feet.

Digital technologies have the potential to transform the solar industry as it continues to seek greater efficiencies and lower costs. But as Dana Olson writes, a lack of both digital skills and mindset within organisations are key barriers to realising the full benefits of the technologies now available.

For the past two years, Taiwan’s PV manufacturers have been weathering a heavy storm prompted by shifting global demand for their wares. But as Carrie Xiao reports, government efforts to stimulate a local end market for PV is proving to be a potential lifeline

Europe’s centrist star Macron has ambitions to lead a continent-wide comeback of solar manufacturing. Can political will alone shatter the dominance of low-priced Asian rivals? Paris’ plan is either Europe’s second chance or a quest doomed to fail, depending on who José Rojo asks

The global solar boom is taking foreign players to Brazil and Mexico but the journey may not be for the faint hearted. Approached by José Rojo, operators of Latin America’s top two markets are keen to dispel myths of a region they say entails risks but also opportunities.

The US announced an exemption from Section 201 trade tariffs in June. But with a limited bifacial project pipeline in place and questions around supply, will the ruling really open the door to the technology? John Parnell investigates.

The huge upsurge in lithium-ion battery deployment expected over the next two decades poses a problem: what to do with cells that have reached the end of their useful life. Stefan Hogg investigates the importance of lithium recyling in the transition to a low carbon energy system.

The rapid acceleration in energy storage deployment expected over the coming years will require innovation in the quality and safety standards underpinning new battery and associated technologies. VDE’s Jan Geder looks at the technical work underway to ensure the coming storage boom has firm bankability and insurability foundations.