Interview: Lynn Sha, General Manager, QS Solar
Compared with 2008, do you expect growth in the global market volume of newly installed PV power in 2009?
No, I do not expect such growth.
What will QS Solar be able to achieve in 2009?
Our company will be able to:
- Increase our capacity to 235MW
- Lower the costs in order to achieve a sales price of $1/Wp in 2010
What module price development do you expect for this and next year?
We expect a price development of $1/Wp in 2010; $0.8/Wp in 2011 and $0.6/Wp in 2012.
Where and when do you expect to see grid parity first?
Some regions, such as Hawaii, could already achieve grid parity, though in our view it is a complex issue which also involves balance of system cost and, of course, a different environment. We expect more regions to reach grid parity next year.
What are the major threats to the solar industry at the moment?
The Whole industry is still dependent on subsidies. With the current financial crisis, and falling module prices, the industry is facing a big challenge. This is especially true for companies with no real competitive edge.
What do you see as the most important market segments for thin-film products in the near future?
In our view, Solar Farms and BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) will form the most important market segments.
Do you foresee thin-film module prices dropping to $ 1/Wp in two years, and, if so, won’t the major markets be China, USA and India?
Of course, the sales price must reach 1$/Wp. Will the major markets be China or India? We simply do not know.
How can solar PV compete with thermal solar energy plants in utility-scale PV projects in potential markets such as the USA, India, Spain, China and elsewhere?
Price reduction on both module and balance of system cost.
Isn’t the solar industry likely to follow the wind-energy industry soon with more than 90% of the market shared by only 10 major manufacturers?
Could be - we do see lots of small manufacturers facing great challenges this year, and many small factories will most likely shut down if they don’t have sufficient cash flow.
What do you expect to learn at The Solar Future conference?
To create synergy between all the firms in the value chain and exchange information. Everyone has to see the big picture and work together.
How will the solar industry look in 5 years from now? And your company?
The new boom without subsidies. QS Solar strives to become leader in the thin-film market.
Lynn will be one of the experts speaking at The Solar Future conference.
More information and registration for The Solar Future Conference: www.thesolarfuture.com
First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR), manufacturer of solar modules with an advanced thin film semiconductor process that significantly lowers solar electricity costs, will be represented by its President, Bruce Sohn, at the CEO and expert conference organized by Solarplaza one day prior to Intersolar. At the conference, Mr. Sohn will present the module roadmap to grid parity before 2012 with solar module production costs below $0.70/Wp. The Solar Future conference will be held in Munich, Germany, on 26 May.
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.” 
The world’s two most successful solar entrepreneurs have grown their companies from zero to global market leaders in less than eight years. Dr Anton Milner, one of the founders of Q-Cells, has built up the German company into the biggest solar cell manufacturer in the world today. Dr Zhengrong Shi, founder and CEO of China’s Suntech Power, is hot on the heels of Q-Cells in the race to become the world’s leading solar energy company, as measured by production output of solar modules. Both CEOs will share their strategy and vision at the conference The Solar Future on 26 May in Munich.
Last week Q-Cells, the world’s biggest manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar cells, announced the merger of its subsidiary Sontor with Sunfilm AG to become the leading manufacturer of silicon-based thin-film modules in the world. Over the last few years, the German company has invested in several thin-film technologies through separate ventures. Why would the world’s biggest manufacturer of the “traditional” blue-colored, highly efficient crystalline silicon cells invest in lower efficiency thin-film technology?-238.jpg)
When it comes to solar energy, Dutch entrepreneurs are successful all over the world. This was evident at The Solar Future in Rotterdam, the biggest solar energy conference ever held in the Netherlands. Here, with over 250 participants, it also emerged that a large group of new entrepreneurs are ready to invest in solar energy. Conspicuous by its absence from the conference, organized by Rotterdam-based company Solarplaza, was the Dutch government. One of the presentations demonstrated that the stop-go policy of different subsidy schemes has set the Netherlands back a long way within Europe. Flanders alone installed over 10 times more new PV capacity in 2008 – around 50 MegaWatt. Comparisons with Germany are even more painful. Germany instals the same amount in a day as the Netherlands does in a year.
