Opinion & Analysis

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

IEA-PVPS has used an improved methodology to determine that newly installed PV capacity in 2022 must be somewhere between the 190 GW calculated by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the 268 GW announced by BloombergNEF. Its new “Snapshot of Global PV Markets 2023” report was built on data from a range of sources, including grid-connected and off-grid figures.

Almost 50% of the PLI bid capacity has come from project developers, who, alarmed by market disruption over last two years and stiff import barriers, are seeking mainly to meet their captive demand.

The debate continues over whether super-sized, high-power solar modules are a good thing for the industry and they appear to be here to stay. Vicente Parra and James Whittemore, from Enertis Applus+, consider the pitfalls to avoid when designing high-power solar projects.

A new report by IEA PVPS Task 18 provides a blueprint guide on how to conduct feasibility studies for off-grid and edge-of-grid power systems. The optimal system size and specifications vary depending on the client’s priorities. The desired project outcomes can be identified using pure financial analysis (NPV, IRR) or additionally taking environmental performance into account.

Pumped hydro energy storage can be readily scaled to any required storage capacity at a known and affordable cost.

While the current policy regime supports the adoption of flexible resources like batteries, grid flexibility and resilience require more focus and a range of calibrated efforts, including due acknowledgment as a sector priority and robust planning at the central and state level. The upcoming union budget provides an opportunity for the government to develop flexible and resilient grids.

The major impediments to floating solar photovoltaics (floatovoltaics) are the high cost of materials and the complex installation involved. 

Here are three trends in the solar sector that will gain momentum in 2023, leading to wider PV implementation.

With the latest generation of household devices increasingly connected and internet-of-things (IoT)-enabled, dye-sensitized solar cells can finally realize their latent promise and help reduce the carbon footprint of billions of manufactured goods.