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pvresources.com Bookstore
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Actual Books/Reports
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Thin-Film Annual 2010
The Rise of Thin-Film Solar Technology (Hardback, 350 pages) represents the combined
work of over 70 industry experts who have contributed to Photovoltaics International,
the leading technical journal for the solar power supply chain, since its inception.
This annual compilation comprises 33 technical articles, 76 independent product reviews
and complete contact details for over 500 companies involved in the thin-film supply
chain. It is designed for members of the solar PV supply chain internationally and
provides in-depth technical information on thin-film technologies, their manufacture,
and key market opportunities.
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PV Power Plants 2010
This is the first industry guide with a clear focus on large-scale PV plants.
Through this medium, system integrators, distributors, project developers, project
managers and investors can obtain a perfect overview of the latest market developments,
new technologies, application possibilities and business landscape of the PV industry.
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Aerial photography
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Suravia S.A fotografia aerea, is a company specialized on aerial photography, authorized by the
headquarter of civil aviation in Spain. With sophisticated equipment and more than 15 years of experience
Suravia S.A. can offer the best quality in aerial photographic
services. In recent years renewable energies represent main topic of Suravia's activities.
Company, leader in the Spanish market, takes part in most
representative projects related to renewable energies. More...
Photovoltaic power plant Calvia, Mallorca
(courtesy: Suravia S.A.)
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Solar radiation
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At Focus Solar, we master the art of solar resource estimation. That's the study of how much energy is provided by the sun under different weather conditions.
The use of satellite earth observations has brought a whole new dimension to
solar resource assessment. High resolution solar energy data are now available to solar
system owners offering a wealth of new opportunities. It's now possible to monitor solar systems from space and to spot
microclimates on high-resolution maps of solar energy.
More...
Solar radiation in Europe
(courtesy: Focus Solar)
Solar radiation in the USA
(courtesy: Focus Solar)
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Solar electricity potential of European regions
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Map published by the European Commission shows the photovoltaic solar energy
potential of different parts of Europe. In addition the interactive on-line Photovoltaic Geographical
Information System (PVGIS), developed by the Commission's in-house scientific service,
DG Joint Research Centre, allows users to estimate solar energy performance at any given
location in Europe. These tools are invaluable as the
EU seeks to increase the share of renewable energies in its consumption to 20 % in 2020.
Map can be downloaded from
PVGIS web site. With its continuous improvement and updates PVGIS (Photovoltaic Geographical Information
System) web site is one of the best solar radiation resources for estimation of PV
potential in Europe and Africa available on-line.
Source: PVGIS © European Communities, 2001-2008.
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Electricity from renewables saved 2,8 billion USD in Germany in 2005
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Comprehensive report available for free as pdf file was written by
specialists from "Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR, Stuttgart)" and
"Fraunhofer Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI, Karlsruhe)".
Highly recommended (german language only).
Read more... or
download report as
 file (337 kB).
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Interesting milestones
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90 years ago
In 1921 Albert Einstein was awarded a Nobel Prize for theoretical
explanation of the photovoltaic effect.
70 years ago
In 1941, the first silicon monocrystalline solar cell was constructed.
60 years ago
In 1951, the first germanium solar cells have been made.
More...
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About web site
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pvresources.com is an independent web site related to photovoltaic
technnologies and applications. It was
developed as non-commercial helpful information to serve teachers, students and others interested in photovoltaics.
In the web site you will find many interesting information on photovoltaic technologies, systems, applications etc. In case you
miss any information, I have provided various interesting links where you can look for information you want.
More...
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Architectural highlights
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Grass Valley Elementary School - What are the lessons we will give our children, and how will we communicate them?
This simple but powerful idea inspires “The Science of Light,” a new solar art glass
installation by Sarah Hall at Grass Valley Elementary School in Camas, Washington.
(picture courtesy Sarah Hall Studio)
This unique installation in the main stairwell windows of the school merges the
ancient art of stained glass with cutting edge technology to produce a window that not
only looks magnificent, but works for its living as well by gathering and using
electricity in a visible and interactive way – as solar energy is gathered a glass spiral
located in the stairwell is illuminated.
Embedded in two panels are arrays of photovoltaic cells (thin silicon and metal
squares that convert light into electricity). In this way the windows harvest energy
from sunlight. The colours are warm and welcoming: the windows present solar
energy to the students, staff and visitors in a joyful way. More...
Coney Island's Stillwell Avenue Terminal is the largest above-ground station in
the New York City subway system. Glass
and steel structure was designed using an innovative, panelized construction system of
semi-transparent photovoltaic modules.
Picture courtesy:
Arnold Glas.
Interesting BIPV example is facade of a fashion house "ZARA" in Köln, Germany.
"ZARA's" facade is a combination of natural stone, metal and BIPV
integrated solar modules. 12 kW photovoltaic system consists of special solar glass and marine blue solar cells.
Picture courtesy Ingo Hagemann...
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The International Solar Technology Awards
are designed to acknowledge and
recognise achievements in the production of solar technology.
The winners of the inaugural photovoltaics industry's Cell Awards were
announced at a ceremony attended by the PV industry elite at the Intersolar
exhibition on May 28th in Munich, Germany. Designed to acknowledge technical
achievements in solar manufacturing, the Cell Awards attracted over 2,500
industry votes cast online during the three-week voting process.
Read more ...
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Jobs & recruiting in solar industry
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PVPEOPLE.net - is a contingency and retained
recruiting firm specializing in the photovoltaic (PV) industry. We deliver top industry
talent who has been confidentially located, qualified and reference checked.
Key positions in manufacturing and research and development that we work on are
process engineers, design engineers, materials and research scientists, engineering and
operations managers, and Lean-Sigma/quality assurance engineers.
Other job opportunities:
Photon Magazine
Solarjobs
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Translation services
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Translation services for photovoltaics (spanish, dutch and german language) and
simultaneously, consecutively and bilaterally interpretation (negotiations, conferences,
guided tours, interviews, etc.
More...
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GUNTHER Portfolio
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The GUNTHER Portfolio offers short and interesting overviews about PV
technologies, companies, industry developments etc.
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Solar Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com
Renewable Energy News Headlines provided by RenewableEnergyWorld.com - the leading online publisher of renewable energy news and information world-wide.
Will Chinese Solar Module Tariffs Restore Balance to the Industry?
In the quest to "level the playing field," the 31 percent anti-dumping tariff announced Thursday was a good start, said SolarWorld President Gordon Brinser, but even more is needed to bring the industry back into bala...
Apple to Power 3 Data Centers with 100 Percent Renewable Energy
Greenpeace advocates gathered outside of Apple's Cupertino headquarters early this week dressed as iPhones and iPods, declaring their outrage about the company's lack of clean energy use. They projected social media m...
NLP Solar Sales Training Live Webinar May 30th & 31st
Are IT Data Centers Emerging as a 'Killer App' for Green Power? Part 1
Last month, Greenpeace launched a series of coordinated protests at Amazon, Apple and Microsoft locations to draw attention to the companies’ use of GHG intensive fuels in powering their data centers. The protests we...
31 Percent Anti-Dumping Tariffs Announced for Chinese Solar Panels
The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday announced stiff anti-dumping tariffs of around 31 percent on crystalline silicon solar panels imported from China, leading to a new round of concerns on how the duties will ...
Domestic Module Manufacturing: PV Globalization or Political Vote-Seeking?
Despite 2011 having been a particularly challenging year for PV cell and module manufacturers, new small-scale module manufacturing facilities continue to be implemented, especially in emerging markets. In some cases,...
Can the Voice of Solar Shine Brighter?
Solar manufacturers and installers face the same challenge as many business owners: How can a company make time for media outreach as part of their overall marketing strategy? With so many other tasks vying for our ti...
Mission Critical: A Clean Energy Call to Arms
They say nothing can get done in Washington, D.C. on the issue of clean energy, which has become a political lightning rod over the last year. With Congress at a high watermark of partisanship, accusations abound on C...
Rethinking the Role of Government in Cleantech
Another year, another wringing of the hands over tax credits and incentives for clean technology.
Lobbyists and vendors in the U.S. are once again singing the blues, calling for continued and expanding government inv...
Five Shining Examples of Renewable Energy Innovation and Investment
Sinking revenues and shrinking policy support may be causing a bit of a haze on the renewable energy horizon, but there's plenty of sunshine trying to peek through if you look hard enough.
Newsfeed display by CaRP
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Sun in old cultures
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Stanford SOLAR Center offers comprehensive collection of information - sun in old cultures, ancient observatories,
solar art and more. Recommended web site!
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SOL4 - BIPV systems and passive buildings
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SOL4 is an exemplary pilot project in a new semi-urban district for the sustainable
construction of a working and living environment. The building complex serves as a
business and training centre, as well as a centre of competence for advanced standards
in ecological development, construction and workplace design. It is currently the
largest passive solar office building in Austria. The skills and experience from a broad
range of the project partners and associates were brought together in a common
infrastructure and seminar programme for tenants. The resulting living and working
environment includes relax areas and other social spaces. The technologies and design
objectives implemented in the project sought to maximise "green" surfaces
(e.g., green roof systems, open infiltration surfaces, etc.). Special attention was
paid to using the latest developments of environmentally friendly construction materials
as extensively as possible. The facility's energy management system optimises ventilation
and air conditioning by means of a closed-loop heat distribution circuit with
ground-coupled and ventilation heat exchangers. Passive cooling is enabled by
concrete core activation in the panels of the roof construction. The grid-tied
photovoltaic system provides electricity to cover the remaining energy demands of
the mechanical systems. Finally, SOL4's overall ecological performance is being monitored
and continually analysed with total quality assessment methods.
More...
SOL4 office building. Picture photo Thomas Kirschner, courtesy
SOL4
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Large-scale PV power plants
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Considering large scale PV power plants installed PV power capacity in 2010 has
surpassed 3 GW. Market leaders in 2010 were Germany and Italy followed by the Czech Republic, USA and France.
Data for recent years is available in PV Power Plants 2010 Industry Guide, published by Solarpraxis.
Detailed overwiev about PV power installed (only large scale PV power plants considered)
in recent years (1995-2008) you may find in pvresources
Annual Review 2008 .
Brief descriptions and some images of world's largest photovoltaic plants can you find if you follow
the link. For each plant basic data is
included - peak power, country, location, year of construction, GHG emission reduction data
etc - if available of course. Pictures of some plants listed are also included.
Interesting new markets are for example Slovakia, Slovenia and United Kingdom.
Solartech are one of the UK's leading
Solar Energy Companies who specialise in the installation and supply of
Solar Panels to domestic and commercial customers. Other areas of expertise
include the renewable heat incentive, heat pumps and biomass boilers.
Solarpark Moravsky Krumlov
Picture courtesy: Poulek Solar
Solarpark Lieberose under construction. With 53 MW peak power third largest German PV power plant.
Picture courtesy: juwi
Aznalcollar, photovoltaic power plants with 17 MW peak power constructed by different companies
Picture courtesy: Suravia S.A.
In 2008 first large scale PV plants were put into service in Greece.
100 kW Olympic power plant, located in Pieria, Greece. Picture courtesy
Compa Solar
Lucainena de Las Torres (Almeria). 23,2 MW plant completed in summer 2008. Picture courtesy
MEPSOLAR AG
Huerta Solar Benahadux (Almeria). 10,6 MW plant completed in summer 2008, air photo. Picture courtesy
esTCI S.L.
Huerta Solar Benahadux (Almeria). 10,6 MW plant completed in summer 2008. Picture courtesy
esTCI S.L.
Maccaferri Industrial Group, one of the largest roof mounted systems in Italy put into service in 2008.
Picture courtesy
Mitsubishi Electric
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Concentrator PV
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Some large-scale concentrator PV power plants were also installed in recent years.
One example of small scale concentrator PV power plants is presented on
the picture below.
In 2008-2009, WS Energia installed about 736 kW of solar concentrators, divided
in more than 200 installations, all over Portugal. Each grid connected system
has a power of 3,7 kW. More ...
Picture source/copyright:
WS-Energia
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The most attractive
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Saving energy is not normally linked to the start of the AFL season but
that’s what the new redeveloped Gold Coast stadium – home of the appropriately
named Gold Coast Suns – is all about. The owner, Stadium Queensland, worked with
key consultants: Norman Disney & Young, engineers; ARUP, structural engineers;
architects, Populous and builder, Watpac to adapt a fully integrated solar
solution which will be promoted as part of the Gold Coast’s 2018 Commonwealth
Games bid. More...
Gold Coast Stadium, Carrara, Australia
Courtesy Norman Disney & Young
One of the most attractive european photovoltaic systems is probably
Akademie Mont Cenis in Herne, Germany. Wooden structure covered with glass and transparent
photovoltaic modules is unique sollution build on revitalised former coal mine in northern Germany
"Akademie-du-Mont-Cenis", Herne, Germany.
Picture source/copyright:
Flabeg-Solar
Floriade exhibition hall, the Netherlands. Roof integrated photovoltaic system with
transparent modules. Detailed description of Floriade system can
be found here (pdf file courtesy of
Siemens Nederland N.V.).
More about bipv applications...
Pictures courtesy Bram Vorster...
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The highest located plants
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World's highest located grid-connected system is located on Jungfraujoch
mountain in Switzerland - 3545 m above the sea level.
In 2005 PV plant Jungfraujoch
(effective peak power 1.13 kWp, 3454 m above sea level), which was erected in 1993 by
the PV laboratory of the Berne School of Engineering and Information technology, has
established a new record for normalised annual energy production in 2005. Despite a
line interruption of one day (23.8.2005) in the valley, in 2005 1537 kWh/kWp were
produced with a winter energy fraction of 48.5%. Thus the old record dating from 1997
(1504 kWh/kWp) was trespassed considerably. Without the line interruption, in 2005 the
production would have been even 1540 kWh/kWp. In the average of 1993 to 2005, PV plant
Jungfraujoch has produced 1407 kWh/kWp with a winter energy fraction of 46.3%.
You may find
more details about the plant on the page where world's
highest located grid-connected system are described, or on the web site of
PV-Labor der Hochschule für Technik
und Informatik (HTI) - Berner Fachhochschule.
Picture source/copyright:
PV-Labor der Hochschule für Technik und Informatik - Berner Fachhochschule
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