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The decrease in PV prices currently being witnessed, both on products
and performance contracts, is welcome news to potential U.S. utility
buyers," said David Rubin, Board Chairman of the Solar Electric Power
Association. "And increased utility interest in solar is important to
the PV industry, especially at this time when the global economic
situation is impacting the growth of commercial and residential solar
markets."
Compared with 2008, do you expect growth in the global market volume
of newly installed PV power in 2009?
Over 2 GW of new utility-driven PV projects were announced in the United
States. Not all of these projects will ultimately be installed, but the
U.S. utility-driven market is emerging as an important new opportunity
for global manufacturers.
What will be the goals of PG&E in 2009?
PG&E will continue to promote solar development through a number of
different avenues, including:
Where and when do you expect to see grid parity first?
In the United States, Hawaii and California have a combination of high
solar resource and higher than average wholesale and retail rates, along
with long-maturing solar markets through continued and sustained
programmatic efforts on the part of state government, utilities, and
other stakeholders.
What are the major threats to the solar industry at the moment?
Clearly the global economic conditions, and limited availability of
financing, are hitting at exactly the wrong time for the solar industry
and investors concerned about profit margins and oversupply. But the
drop in prices, both on products and performance contracts, is welcome
news to buyers with existing or recovering access to capital and to
advocates and policymakers who have provided incentive funding to jump
start the industry. The emergence of utility driven projects in the
United States can potentially provide large, long-term demand for the
solar industry, while the commercial sector recovers - gap projects if
you will.
What will be your response to companies claiming to sell (thin-film)
modules at $ 1/Wp next year?
Please respond aggressively (but thoroughly and thoughtfully) to utility
renewable and solar RFPs for new projects!
What will become the dominating PV technology in the next 5 years?
Utilities are generally technology agnostic, balancing cost, performance
and business risk among bidders.
What do you see as the major drivers for solar energy in the coming
decade?
Climate change, increasing electricity costs, declining solar costs, and
the green wave of consumer interest as these forces converge.
What do you expect to learn at The Solar Future conference?
Gain additional insights into market dynamics of solar (including global
supply/demand), and exploring new opportunities for utilities.
How will the solar industry look in 5 years from now? And the position
of your company?
I hope the solar industry is larger and can offer installations and
products at significantly lower prices. The growth of the wind industry
is a possible model to follow but PV has a few tricks up its sleeve that
are missing from wind:
David will be one of the experts speaking at The Solar Future conference.
More information and registration for The Solar Future Conference: www.thesolarfuture.com
