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How Low Can They 07 | 2018 | 78538 2018 | 07 How low can they go? Module price fall: In-depth coverage of China’s unexpected shift, and what it means for the global PV industry. Page 18 AC vs. DC As storage grows to accompany more and more solar projects, the question of which side to locate a battery is an important one. Page 68 / Perfect Welding / Solar Energy / Perfect Charging NEXT LEVEL SOLAR. .com fsun so ur o h TODAY, ENERGY IS A CHOICE. 4 2 TAKE YOUR SOLAR GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL. EXPERIENCE SOLUTIONS FOR PV, STORAGE, HEATING AND E-MOBILITY. www.fronius.com/nextlevelsolar PV Mag BLA Ad.pdf 1 4/6/18 12:57 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K TM TM TM 1400 Shoals Way, Portland, TN 37148 | 615.451.1400 | [email protected] | www.shoals.com editorial imprint Publisher The wild ride to ubiquity pv magazine group GmbH & Co. KG Kurfürstendamm 64, 10707 Berlin, Germany Photo: pv magazine/Julia Malcher Editors pv magazine group Becky Beetz – Head of Content – [email protected] s the solar industry stands again Jonathan Gifford – Managing Editor – on the edge of another sharp drop [email protected] A Mark Hutchins – [email protected] in module prices it’s worth considering Christian Roselund – [email protected] what it is staring back at us: an abyss for Emiliano Bellini – [email protected] some, a new opportunity for others. Michael Fuhs, Editor in chief pv magazine Deutschland [email protected] Sandra Enkhardt – [email protected] The first repercussions of Chinese pol- Marian Willuhn – [email protected] Authors: Josefin Berg, Marija Djordjevic, Uma Gupta, Frank icymakers’ 31/5 radical solar incentive Haugwitz, Corrine Lin, Tom Lindberg, Jesse Pichel, Laura Sar- changes are beginning to flow through tore, Martin Schachinger, Vincent Shaw, John Weaver Proofreader: Paul Zubrinich the industry. Much conjecture is being Translators: Tim Hanes/ Veritas Traducción y Comunicación raised as to the intentions and drivers of Photo editor: Therese Aufschlager the change in any event (pp. 18 – 23, 24 Graphics: Harald Schütt Cover illustration: Roman Hrncar – 25). Sales & Marketing Director Andrea Jeremias On one hand, crystalline silicon pro- Tel.: +49-30-213 00 50 23 | [email protected] ducers at the lower end of the efficiency Sales Fabienne Cuisinier scale and with limited access to markets Tel.: +49 -30-213 00 50 39 | [email protected] Nicolaus J. Yuan outside of China look to face a tough six Tel.: +49 -30-213 00 50 28 | [email protected] months ahead (pp. 26 – 28). Insolvency Greater China & Korea, Hong Kong Office, Calvin Chong Tel.: +852-9732 8266 | [email protected] and industry consolidation is expected. denced in California today (pp. 34 – 40). Japan, Sakura International, Justin August On the other, falling prices at the increas- California, along with its considerably Tel.: +81-3-56 46-11 60 Mobile: +81-90-5165-9545 | [email protected] ingly commodified market segment will smaller cousin Germany’s Tübingen, have North America, Matt Gallinger likely deliver fresh momentum to technol- this month introduced solar mandates – Tel.: +1-518-560-0179 | [email protected] ogy upgrades aimed at higher efficiencies requiring rooftop PV to be added to new Marketing Manager Marina Ramain such as PERC, selective emitter, and half- buildings, by 2020 in California and effec- Tel: +49-30-213 00 50 29 | [email protected] cut cells (pp. 14 – 15). tive immediately in Tübingen. Such initia- Advertising Administration Anika Wedemeyer tives point the way to a solar future where Tel.: +49-30-213 00 50 22 | [email protected] Taking a broader more long-term view, our technology is approaching ubiq- Subscriptions/individual issues Contact [email protected] or visit the pv magazine the market conditions in H2 2018 will uity: a part of the very fabric of our built web shop at https://shop.pv-magazine.com to buy a subscrip- tion or purchase single issues. likely form another episode in solar’s environment. Number of issues growing pains – from highly dependent Twelve per year on incentives, to a major energy player in A world in which PV is ubiquitous would Purchase prices its own right. And lower module prices make solar one of the ‘big three’ energy Annual subscription for 12 issues: €199 print/€99 digital, including shipping and VAT, where appropriate. Single issue: will undoubtably drive adoption. In short: sources, alongside wind and hydro, €19 print/€9.50 digital, including shipping and VAT where appropriate. Purchase prices are applicable at the time an cheaper modules, unfortunately awesome (pp. 62 – 66). It will require large amounts order is received. (pp. 12 – 13). of energy storage (pp. 68 – 72) but also Terms Orders can be made in our online shop (shop.pv-magazine. technologies that facilitate wide-scale com), with our reader service or in bookshops in Germany But price isn’t the only thing when it adoption such as BIPV (pp. 50 – 53). It and abroad. Should it not be possible to ship the magazine for reasons that lie outside the responsibility of the publisher, comes to an essential utility like electric- will also require the fortitude, innovation, the subscriber has no right to claim subsequent shipments, replacement issues, or a refund. Full terms & conditions: ity. Integrating large amounts of renew- and wherewithal to ride out the challeng- http://shop.pv-magazine.com/terms-and-conditions/. The venue for the settlement of all disputes with full merchants is able energy into established markets and ing times. Berlin, which is also the venue for all disputes pertaining to payment reminders. grids presents a major challenge, as is evi- Jonathan Gifford Layout & typesetting Alexx Schulz, mADVICE | Berlin Printer Dierichs Druck+Media GmbH & Co. KG Frankfurter Straße 168, D-34121 Kassel Copyright China is fast becoming the It is not enough to The magazine and all of the texts and images contained therein are protected by copyright. When a manuscript is approved “ leading protagonist in “simply add wind and for publication, the right to publish, translate, reprint, elec- tronically store in databases, print special editions, photocop- ies, and microcopies is transferred to the publisher. The pub- electricity markets solar to a grid designed lisher requires the author to be the holder of copyrights and commercialization rights for all submissions. Any commercial in various regions for conventional use outside the limits specified by copyright is inadmissible without the publisher’s consent. of the world power ISSN 1865-3138 pv magazine was founded in 1996 by China’s global power” play California’s integration” challenge Solarpraxis AG, Karl-Heinz Remmers. Page 30 Page 34 www.pv-magazine.com | 07 / 2018 1 contents Darkness before dawn: pv magazine’s in-depth coverage of China’s 31/5 announcement opens with a look at how the industry is reacting to the recently dropped policy bomb. China’s global power play: An examination of what is at stake politically in 30 the global electricity market, and China’s efforts to expand its international influence. 18 California’s integration challenge: Curtailment and negative pricing are signs of flawed market rules, but there are plenty of solutions for California to get more wind and solar onto its grid. 42 34 Cryptos & watts – good bedfellows: Blockchain technology is already making quite an impact on the energy industry. “We need an 80% transition 54 in 12 years”: Mark Jacobson of Stanford University discusses his 100% renewable energy vision. 62 Module stability: The top 10 crystalline module manufacturers of 2017, based on IHS 68 Markit production data. AC, or DC? That is the question: Storage systems are taking over, but on which side of the inverter to place them is still in dispute. 2 07 / 2018 | www.pv-magazine.com LBHUW1611005P_210x297_�志稿EN_P 20180630.pdf 1 2018/6/30 17:54:34 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K @ Huawei FusionSolar contents 6 News 58 Growing demand for three-phase applications & solutions: Alex Pan of inverter manufacturer SolaX Power talks markets & trends ≥ installations ≥ markets and technology. 10 Stock Index: Significant drops 34 California’s integration challenge: in stock prices all along the Curtailment and negative pricing financial & legal ≥ value chain after China’s big are signs of flawed market rules, announcement. but there are plenty of solutions for 60 Securing income through guar- California to get more wind and antees of origin: How can energy 12 pvXchange Module Price Index: solar onto its grid. providers gain extra income Falling module prices are ‘unfortu- through guarantees of origin. nately awesome.’ 42 Cryptos & watts – good bed- fellows: Blockchain technology 62 “We need an 80% transition in 14 Tech upgrades on the back of the has made quite an impact on the 12 years”: Mark Jacobson of Stan- downturn: Corrine Lin explores energy industry. ford University discusses his 100% how module makers will cope with renewable energy vision. China’s big announcement. 44 Immunizing Latin American PV: A look at quality issues in Latin 16 Floating PV reaches the surface: America ahead of pv magazine’s storage & Waterborne PV systems to see Quality Roundtable in São Paulo. growth, says IHS Markit analyst smart grids ≥ Josefin Berg. industry & suppliers ≥ 68 AC, or DC: That is the question: 18 Darkness before dawn: How is the Storage systems are taking over, industry reacting to the recently 48 Floating PV creates ripples in but on which side of the inverter to dropped policy bomb? China and Southeast Asia: place them is still in dispute. Sungrow’s Daniel Li talks about the 24 The signs were there: growing prospects for floating PV.
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