There is bright future for solar now, with the sun shining dollars.
We are now seeing the rebirth of a truly valuable energy industry; the buzz to go and invest in solar is taking place throughout the entire renewable energy industry. At Greentech Media’s Solar Summit 2011 one of the most obvious differences in the renewable energy industry is how financial institutions that were focused on the wind industry have moved their attention to solar. This has been prompted by the increased energy production during peak requirement times, the reduction in cost for energy produced, a short development period when compared to other energy and a reliable amount of energy production to expectation.
Another major change in solar is how the financial institution are looking at the previously coveted price per watt as the gold standard for developers, EPC’s, distributed and utility scale integration. Now if you are talking to a financial institution, expect to be communicating in terms of the “Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE)”. Why this change has taken place is, the solar project owners and financiers are most interested in how many electrons are running through the veins of the panels cells to their leads and eventually used as electricity.
Utilities developing their own solar projects
If the above two changes are not enough just hold on because some Utilities are starting to develop their own solar projects. This fact has many utility scale project developers wondering, ok what’s next. With the unstated question in their minds lingering and wondering whether the rest of the utilities will decide to build their own solar projects. If so what percentage of solar will they develop by themselves? One example of utilities doing their own solar projects is Southern California Edison (SCE) which has added a team of planners and strategy specialist to their newly formed solar development group. You got it; Southern California Edison is now in the business of developing solar projects with their own team.
What is important to note is that SCE has recently gone through the learning process of developing their first projects. Additionally, SCE is learning what developers go through when they develop a project, and this can only create respect towards the companies that are building solar projects for utilities. For every company that has developed a utility scale project we know how important it is to have a management team that uncovers every possibility that may occur during the development and prepares for it in advance. Attending conferences like Greentech Media’s Solar Summit is one of the ways to prepare solar professional for the potential risks and opportunities.
The centralized inverters and microinverters debate
Then there was the debate over centralized inverters and microinverters. Of all the debates this was one of the most interesting in that both side presented excellent arguments on why their systems where the best. Without any question the future will bring many new upgrades to both systems with fewer internal exchangeable parts with less time to install. The most promising aspect of the electronics future is the cost per watt or as I stated earlier the reduction in LCOE.
Topics presented during the Greentech Media where: From Polysillicon to power; Lessons from PV project development and operation; PV in the industrial age: The challenges of gigawatt-scale manufacturing; Expanding the U.S. PV market; Dynamics in inverters & power optimization; Technology innovations in PV manufacturing; Serving the next generation of solar manufacturing; Financing the solar revolution; The return of concentrating solar; Utility scale PV – the next big thing?; Gauging thin film competitiveness; and The maturing of VC & PE investing in solar.
In summary
Greentech Media is known as an integrated online media company with their charter and intent being to deliver quality content to the renewable energy industry, research through GTM their research group and conferences which are fantastic networking events. These events consist of quality organizations and speakers who prepare and present excellent information to attendees. Greentech Media also brings information to its readership and listeners through hosting webinars.
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