PV Tech Power Papers

As solar projects become ever larger, sites with slopes and uneven terrain are becoming the norm for project development, leading tracker manufacturers to adapt their offerings accordingly. Molly Lempriere details the latest launches that aim to address this issue.

PV modules will keep changing in the quest for higher efficiency and energy yield. However, the rapid and sometimes simultaneous introduction of new technologies increases overall quality risk, writes George Touloupas, senior director at Clean Energy Associates.

Sky-high electricity prices and an increasing urgency to curb fossil fuel use have led to a surge in European solar additions this year. Jules Scully charts how the continent’s ongoing energy crisis is affecting EU renewables policy and PPA appetite.

While collecting verified bottom-up project data in real time has previously been cost-prohibitive, satellite data can now be leveraged to make comprehensive market intelligence attainable for investors. Daniel Cruise and Joseph Triepke, partners at energy intelligence firm Lium Research, reveal how satellites can provide more reliable insights into the construction of US utilityscale solar projects.

Earlier this year, ex-UK Prime Minister Liz Truss labelled solar projects “paraphernalia”, while her successor, Rishi Sunak, promised to not let the country “lose swathes of our best farmland to solar farms”. Molly Lempriere investigates how much land the UK needs for utility-scale PV plants as it transitions to net zero, and whether the sector’s growth poses any threat to food security.

Europe is home to relatively low solar manufacturing capacities, with just 3% of global module supply in 2020. However, with industry players offering low-carbon products manufactured under robust labour regulations and without the cost of overseas shipping, Europe’s PV manufacturing industry finds itself in a very timely position to ramp up, writes Johan Lindahl, secretary general of the European Solar Manufacturing Council.

Amid potential supply chain bottlenecks as China increases its PV manufacturing dominance, companies in markets such as the US, India and Europe are looking to leverage new policy support to scale up domestic production. Jules Scully charts the industry’s efforts to onshore solar module manufacturing.

With the great demand for lithium batteries comes great responsibility to install and use them safely. Although much of that responsibility lies with manufacturers, Dr Kai-Philipp Kairies of ACCURE Battery Intelligence discusses how a combination of data gathered from the field and analytics embedded in software can make batteries safer to operate while maximising value.

The mismatch between supply and demand for lithium batteries presents a challenge to the global transition to sustainable energy and the role energy storage will play in it. Andy Colthorpe hears how the dynamics are playing out, and how the challenge can be overcome.

Germany’s early lead among Europe’s battery storage adopters is now long gone. But with the urgency to deploy renewable energy compounded by the need for greater energy independence, some industry players and experts see change coming on the horizon, Cameron Murray writes.