Western Europe

The impressive progress made by offshore wind arrays may be attracting a new group of PV developers looking to leave the constraints of the roof and free field behind. And while saltwater, wind and waves are no friend of PV, progress is being made in proving the potential applications.

As a remedy for light-induced degradation (LID) in crystalline silicon cells, gallium-doped wafers are showing considerable promise. With reports that ingot growth productivity can rival that of boron doping, it seems that gallium doping may now be able to meet the cost, integration and performance criteria that have informed solar manufacturing technology adoption, writes Alex Barrows, senior research analyst at U.K.-based consultancy Exawatt.

The Gurgaon-based data-driven fleet service provider—which launched India’s first all-electric heavy-duty truck last year—will use Faradion’s sodium-ion batteries in its commercial vehicles.

A study by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems has evaluated the feasibility of horticulture PV at the site of Paras in Akola district of Maharashtra, where the state utility Maharashtra State Power Generation Co. Ltd (Mahagenco) is considering to install a ground-mounted solar system on more than 100 hectare (ha) of arable land.

German development agency GIZ has hired DNV GL to study control reserve requirements of India’s southern states. The study—part of the Indo-German Energy Programme—will help ensure efficient and cost-effective integration of large-scale renewable energy supplies in the region.

The path to lower solar LCOE can be painful; just ask a PV manufacturer. However, ever-larger crystalline wafers may cause more pain than they are worth, argues Gerry Knoch, the managing director of wet bench provider exateq. For high efficiency, eliminating cross contamination in wet processes is vital and can be achieved – with carriers playing an important role.

Many factors are important in ballasting flat roof systems, such as wind speed and roof shape. In the past, however, wind force has unfortunately been underestimated, says wind expert Hans Ruscheweyh. pv magazine addressed this topic in a recent webinar with initiative partner Schletter, and drew several interesting points from the discussion.

The sodium-ion battery technology developer has bagged its first order from ICM Australia and is looking at India as the next destination for manufacturing with the initial target set as 1 GWh.

Although the Wiki-Solar website ranking only provides a snapshot of PV project engineering, procurement and construction contracts outside of China, it is nevertheless a useful indicator of the changing global solar market landscape. Of the top 11 companies, four are based in India, three in Germany, and two in the United States. But last year’s largest contractor, U.S.-based First Solar, might lose its leading position this year, as it has largely discontinued its EPC activities.

Scientists in Germany have developed a “heavy duty” test to provide insight into the long term effects of potential induced degradation in PV modules. The tests go well beyond those established by IEC standards and seek to guide manufacturers and investors on the best choice of materials – encapsulants in particular – when it comes to long term PID resistance.