System Integration

Falling solar module prices in recent years mean it can be beneficial to oversize the DC capacity in PV plants. John Leslie of BTY presents findings from a study that suggests developers should, in certain cases, investigate using higher DC/AC ratio designs.

Building on the successes of floating PV projects installed on lakes and dams globally, offshore installations are an emerging opportunity for developers, potentially when co-located with wind farms. George Heynes explores how the industry can move beyond pilot projects to large-scale, commercially viable installations, detailing the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Renewables deployment in the US is at risk of stalling unless distributed interconnection policies are improved to make them more efficient. Fortunately, there are a host of well-developed solutions for many of the major interconnection challenges being seen in the country today, writes Gwen Brown of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

As solar projects become ever larger, sites with slopes and uneven terrain are becoming the norm for project development, leading tracker manufacturers to adapt their offerings accordingly. Molly Lempriere details the latest launches that aim to address this issue.

PV modules will keep changing in the quest for higher efficiency and energy yield. However, the rapid and sometimes simultaneous introduction of new technologies increases overall quality risk, writes George Touloupas, senior director at Clean Energy Associates.

The US has a massive interconnection problem, with more than 14TW of clean power sat dormant in its queues. The DOE i2X initiative is seeking to unleash this power and catapult the US closer to its climate targets. But how will it achieve this? Sean Rai-Roche finds out more.

Inverters are essentially the brains of a PV plant and while their key function remains the conversion of DC power to AC, their design and configuration is continually evolving. So are the strategies of the companies making this important piece of kit, writes Jonathan Touriño Jacobo.

Curtailment is a rising threat to solar PV, exacerbated by antiquated grids and a power system in transition. But green hydrogen electrolysis is emerging as a potential solution to the problem, taking excess solar and converting it into hydrogen for either long-duration storage or use by other industries, writes Alissa Tripp, senior research and commercial analyst at Octopus Hydrogen.

Alexander Hansen Bakken, cybersecurity consultant at DNV, reveals the cyber vulnerabilities arising as solar farm operational technologies become more networked and connected, and recommends approaches to reduce the risk.

Solar PV connectors provider Stäubli discusses the risks of cross-mating PV connectors, examines the pitfalls of individual testing and details the international standards all solar PV professionals should know.