Even In Solar There Is No Infinite Demand
SOLID STATE - All industries, particularly during periods of strong growth, are vulnerable to believing in their own invulnerability. This is not really hubris; generally, along with the technical skills required, developing a technology or product requires believing that demand for it exists, and that it is cutting edge enough in form factor, design, function, cost, et al., to nullify the competition.
by Paula Mints , Navigant Consulting (speaker at Global Demand Conference)
Infinite demand does not exist for any good, not even toothpaste.
The term grid parity was knocked around often during the high growth years of 2004?2008, along with the promise that solar’s grid parity would bring with it the ability to sell everything you manufactured. New entrants envisioned a world with no barriers and just one small hurdle, getting to grid parity in a timely manner.
The photovoltaic (PV) industry does not exist in a vacuum however; it competes with conventional energy technologies (coal and natural gas), nuclear, and other renewables (wind), not to mention energy-efficiency technologies (primarily building materials such as windows). Energy efficiency and conservation are economical ways to control energy costs. Given the competitive landscape that includes less-expensive competitors all vying for a larger piece of the energy market, the answer to unlimited demand for solar is simply not as simple as achieving grid parity.
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