Top Ten Important Developments of Cleantech Sector in Year 2013

[SHAILESH ISHWARRAO TELANG]

The year gone by saw significant progress in the areas of renewable energy and clean technologies. Progress was not just about laboratory successes but also about financing and commercialization. These technologies are moving beyond dependence on Government support – many of them are commercially viable long term investments. This article shows ten most noteworthy developments of the past year in this field.

1. Solar Power – Star of the Year

2013 was without doubt the year of Solar PV. Five countries i.e. Germany, USA, Japan, China and Italy have crossed the 10 GW mark.The solar eco-system continues to develop, with cell manufacturers, balance of systems vendors and installers all doing their bit to maximize returns on investment. A lot of action was seen in multi-junction cells with improvement in properties of junctions as well as internal optics. Alta Devices for example, increased record efficiency from 26.4% in 2010 to 28.8% in 2012 to 30.8% (two junction cell) in 2013.  Read more here