By Gaëtan Masson, Director @ Becquerel Institute The word “reasonable” never really applied to the PV sector and 2016 is not going to change this state of facts. The 10 years of market and industry development have been marked by a series of market booms and failures, companies growing faster than light and going into bankruptcy before one could notice,
Read moreJokes are expected on April 1st, not one month later: the announcement from DEWA, the Dubai Energy Authority, that a bid at 0.0299 USD/kWh was received looks so weird that it might be considered as a pure joke. Or a provocation. Recent tenders showed extremely low bids without financial incentives, and especially the Peruvian one at 0.048 USD/kWh. The question
Read moreAfter 40 GW of PV installations in 2014, a confirmation of PVMA last January early estimate, 2015 experienced a significant growth with a market reaching at least 51 GW, exactly matching last year PVMA central scenario forecast. Strong growth was observed in all major markets while more emerging market started to contribute to the global growth. China installed in 2015
Read moreOn the occasion of the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Hamburg 14 – 18 September, Becquerel Institute, in partnership with Green Giraffe Energy Bankers, was awarded the Poster Award for the paper “Impact of PV Production on Wholesale Electricity Prices” by the scientific committee in the thematic area of “PV – A major electricity source” The paper
Read moreBecquerel Institute together with SolarPower Europe (former EPIA) published during the 31st EU PVSEC in Hamburg the study “POTENTIAL FOR COST REDUCTION OF PV TECHNOLOGY – IMPACT OF CHEETAH RESEARCH INNOVATIONS”. This paper collects the results of the research conducted within the framework of CHEETAH, a collaborative project (CP) and coordination and support action (CSA) funded under the European Commission’s
Read moreWhile BIPV has been traditionally limited to providing a PV functionality on discrete elements of the building (windows, claddings, tiles, …) researchers have been more and more progressing on depositing Thin Film PV material on flat building material substrates other than glass, such as metal. The present article relates to a highly innovative solution developed by researchers from the university of
Read moreTesla’s Powerwall was officially launched on 30 April 2015. Tesla’s website states: “Powerwall is a home battery that charges using electricity generated from solar panels, or when utility rates are low, and powers your home in the evening. It also fortifies your home against power outages by providing a backup electricity supply. Automated, compact and simple to install, Powerwall offers independence from
Read moreBy José Donoso, UNEF Director General Photovoltaic (PV) energy has gone from being one of the most expensive generation technologies to one of the most competitive in sunny areas, even without taking into account the external costs of conventional technologies. The 80% drop in PV costs over the past six years has revolutionised the electricity market. The power prices offered
Read moreOn an evening of April, Adel El Gammal had the privilege and pleasure to interview Laurent Quittre, President and Founder of ISSOL, a highly innovative Belgian company, renown for its emblematic BIPV realisations across Europe. Adel: Good evening Laurent, thank you for sharing with us today your analysis and views on the BIPV market. Laurent: Good evening Adel, it is my pleasure
Read morePhotovoltaic has over the last years taken most analysts by surprise and has surpassed, by orders of magnitude, estimations made just few years ago in terms of cost reduction, competitiveness and market penetration. This incredible evolution was made possible by triggering market development though regulatory support, which in turn has unleashed the huge cost reduction potential of the technology under the
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