With PV manufacturer warranties being extended and new novel designs coming on to the market at greater frequency, the quality assurance practices standing behind claims are becoming increasingly important. A new program from TÜV Rheinland is looking to provide the assurance that installers, distributors and project developers need – particularly in the hot and humid environments proven to push the boundaries of module durability.

While long hyped, uptake of residential battery storage is continuing to underwhelm, according to BayWa r.e. Solar Systems managing director Durmus Yildiz. In the wake of the Insight on Quality session of the All-Energy Australia virtual conference, Yildiz says he has reservations about battery safety and quality, and that education is needed to drive the application’s growth.

The winners of the Clean Energy Council’s 2020 solar design and installation awards announced today have been applauded as stunning examples of the innovative solutions being deployed in the commercial rooftop solar sector (C&I) as more businesses look to reap the benefits of solar.

Stable pricing, stable product performance, and rapid after-sales service: These are the pillars on which Chinese PV manufacturing giant Longi’s rapid growth in the Australian market are built – says Stephen Zhang, the MD of Longi Australia. And as the company moves towards another year of doubling its shipments to Australia, its local presence and team remains a vital part of its strategy.

Solar system power losses due to degradation can be a hidden destroyer of PV value. Researchers from the UNSW are conducting world-leading research into degradation phenomena such as Light and Elevated Temperature Degradation (LeTID) and have found the problem widespread. Encouragingly, UNSW’s Alison Ciesla says that mitigation in production is possible.  

There’s nothing new under the sun, and this is ever so in PV. So it should come as no surprise that the hottest new cell technology has actually been in mass production for decades. But is now the time for heterojunction to move into the mainstream? There are serious challenges to overcome if so, but momentum is undoubtedly building.

Rising gas prices, increased energy security and economic recovery at all costs pose risks to Asia’s power sector gas demand growth.

Immediately on the back of the first fully-virtual solar industry event in the Australia market, the Smart Energy Council has announced its second ‘3D Virtual’ conference and exhibition – scheduled for March 3-4 2021.

‘The cheapest PV system usually ends up being the most expensive,’ was an adage shared during the Smart Energy Council’s virtual conference yesterday – and it’s true for householders, installers and the industry at large. The session employed the colloquial term ‘crap solar’ for substandard systems and components, with attendees leaving the event with a host of strategies as to how it could be avoided.

International EPC Sterling Wilson has picked up two new utility scale solar projects in Australia, with a combined capacity of 300 MW. The deals see the Indian-based company secure the position of being the dominant solar EPC in the Australian PV market.