Technical Papers

This year’s Solar Power International trade show dedicated what seemed like almost as much space to energy storage as solar. As Andy Colthorpe reports, this is likely a strong indication of the way the world is adopting renewable energy, particularly California, where storage looks set to play a key role in helping the Golden State realise its green ambitions

Andy Colthorpe speaks to Janice Lin of the California Energy Storage Alliance on what sort of role energy storage will play in reaching the ‘100% carbon-free retail electricity’ goal of the state’s SB100 legislation

Energy storage projects often fail to deliver value because of economic miscalculations. These computational issues, however, can now be mitigated by applying software, analytics and machine learning, write Enrico Ladendorf and Bryce Evans

Solar farm operators are coming under growing pressure to help maintain network stability by providing accurate generation forecasts. As Dr. Nick Engerer (CTO of Solcast) writes, innovations in short-term solar forecasting are providing operators with new options for making this task less of a distraction from their core business.

Cell cracks have been identified as a major cause of defects in PV modules, but their effect on performance is less well understood. Researchers Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Thilo Winkler, Jens Hauch, Christian Camus and Christoph J. Brabec describe the results of ongoing investigations into how the electrical power of PV modules is impacted by cracking

Technologies purporting to alleviate performance losses in PV modules due to soiling from dust and other airborne particles are becoming more widely available. But do they work? Elisabeth Klimm and Karl-Anders Weiß of Fraunhofer ISE investigate

Amid reports of logistical and bureaucratic difficulties, Germany’s IB Vogt earlier this year became the first company to complete and energise one of the multiple projects that will eventually make up Benban, Egypt’s gargantuan solar park in the western desert governorate of Aswan.

PV systems incorporating bifacial modules require careful design and integration to maximise the additional yield they offer. Drawing on extensive field studies, researchers from LONGi Solar describe the optimum design of bifacial systems in the desert conditions of the Middle East, to which bifacial technology is especially well suited

Bifacial technology is seen by many as the shape of things to come for the solar industry. But how is it regarded by those on the frontline of choosing equipment that will result in the most profitable projects? Jenya Meydbray, VP of solar technology at Cypress Creek Renewables, offers an insider’s view

Accurate irradiance data is key for assessing the feasibility, profitability, and performance of solar energy assets. 3E and Kipp & Zonen investigate the benefits of combining pyranometer and satellite-based irradiance data for optimal planning and operation of PV plants