Utilities Go Green: Worldwide Utility Solar Market Shares, Forecasts, and Strategies, 2008-2014

Utilities Go Green: Worldwide Utility Solar Market Shares, Forecasts, and Strategies, 2008-2014

The single most significant economic factor driving adoption of solar utility initiatives is the prospect of carbon use surcharges. As coal, gas, and oil usage are taxed to help prevent pollution and stimulate use of renewable energy sources, solar energy becomes more attractive to the utility grid electricity providers. The environmental impact of energy use choices promises to be an ongoing factor in energy grid supply.

Large scale solar electric power plants are being developed and planned worldwide as an alternative to fossil fuel, or nuclear power generation. These large scale power plants (solar farms) are typically greater than 100 kW in power output and grow in capacity to well over 1 MW. Both Germany and Canada have announced solar farm power plants that will be sized at 40 MW. PV module price decreases continue to drive the growth of large scale solar farm development worldwide.

The speed with which solar system can be put in place by a utility company is a major factor in deciding what kinds of systems to put up. Solar utility systems can be put in place within six months.

The ability to create an operational system in six months instead of 20 years for nuclear systems is significant. Just the cost of capital weighs heavily in favor of solar utility installations. The advantage brought by having paying customers sooner is a major factor supporting implementation of solar systems for generation of utility grid electricity.

Utility vendor electricity solar equipment markets at $10 billion in 2007 are anticipated to reach $78.7 billion by 2014. Growth is a result of using utility electricity solar systems to power the grid. With .3% of the grid powered by solar in 2007, huge growth is set to occur as 6% of the grid power is anticipated to come from solar by 2014, with rapid shifts to solar energy after that. This will come through massive trillion dollar investments in grid capable solar energy systems that are financed throughout the life of the solar installation.

Adoption of solar energy has a simple market driving force. If people do not adopt solar energy, the planet will become unfit for human habitation. The fossil fuels are warming the planet at an increasing rate that makes life unsustainable if something does not change. Global warming drives solar markets. Solar is perceived as the best, perhaps the only widespread solution to global warming.

Every large enterprise has adopted a social responsibility strategy that makes a nod toward solving the issues of global warming and embraces renewable energy. Every person in the world is aware of the problems that global warming is bringing.

Growth comes not only because solar power is the cheapest power source which it will be in many cases, but because it fulfills a variety of convenience needs, not the least of which is a way to attack global warming. Every large enterprise has adopted a green strategy in response to public demand for better energy solutions. 
 

SOLAR UTILITY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Global Market For Energy

Prospect Of Carbon Use Surcharges

Construction Cost Parity With Coal Plants

Speed of Revenue Generation from Solar Utilities

Thin Film Solar Technology

Era Of Cheap Energy Is Over

Unprecedented Level Of Solar Product Development Worldwide

Wireless Handsets

Population Increases

Tackling Climate Change

Benefits of Solar For Utility Electricity Markets

Solar Utility Electricity Market Shares

Worldwide Utility Electricity Solar Cell and Panel Shipments

1. SOLAR UTILITY MARKET DESCRIPTION AND MARKET DYNAMICS

1.1 Solar Power Gaining In Importance: Rethinking Among US Utility Energy Suppliers: