Crème de la cème of Solar: Who will Rise to the Top and Why

The solar industry has made tremendous strides in answering the big questions facing it over the last decade. Costs are down, efficiencies are up, utility scale adoption is on the rise, and capital markets have responded enthusiastically. The questions facing the industry today are related to issues of scale and impending cost competitiveness. The upstream industry (silicon to modules) will undoubtedly face consolidation as a result of nearer term oversupply and long term structural efficiency. And as utilities become one of the major growth drivers, downstream project development capabilities are gaining increasing strategic importance and will likely drive more M&A. Utilities and the financial community will weed through the clutter of a crowded development market to sort the power players from the stragglers. Overall, the industry in 2015 will see several consolidation strategies playing out across the value chain as players attempt to maintain leadership on costs, access to capital, credit, and reputation as a leading partner for utilities.

In project development, successful long-term players will be determined by three key elements:

1. Credibility with utilities, who need evidence of a proven track record.

2. The ability to manage supply chains and drive down costs to market-leading levels.

3. Credibility in the financial community in order to be able to compete globally for access to low cost capital.

This session will explore these factors and how they will shape the solar landscape over the next decade.