May 4 2009
SolarPlaza, a leading consultancy on the global solar industry, is pleased to announce “The Solar Future” Conference to be held in Munich, Germany on May 26. For a single day, the world’s top minds will come together to discuss the future of the fastest-growing renewable energy at a critical time for the industry.
Speakers will include such experts and CEO's as Bruce Sohn, President of First Solar, Dr. Shi, CEO Suntech Power, Anton Milner, CEO Q-cells, renowned analyst Travis Bradford of the Prometheus Institute; Stephen O’Rourke, analyst with Deutsche Bank Securities on Wall Street; and David Rubin, chairman of the board of directors of the Solar Electric Power Association.
Solar energy, at the cusp of a historic turning point, is headed toward grid parity in the coming years. And, as demand surges worldwide, major industry leaders are preparing for unprecedented implementation in solar technologies across the globe.
“Most people think that solar energy is something for the future, when prices have come down and cell efficiencies have further improved,” says Edwin Koot, CEO of organizer SolarPlaza. “Well, this is your wake up call, because this future is closer than you could imagine.” With huge strides worldwide in such developments as electric-powered vehicles, the implications for the solar industry are greater than ever. From Spain to Italy to California, solar energy is rapidly becoming competitive in pricing with conventional fossil fuel sources, which marks a new phase for the industry called grid parity.
In 2008, demand for solar energy exploded more than 100 percent. While present economic conditions has challenged the global marketplace, solar stands to win, reaching grid parity at a faster pace. Revenues in the solar industry is expected to top $50 billion in 2012. “This grid parity is the Holy Grail for the solar industry and only the beginning of an unprecedented growth path,” Koot says. “At that time, market potential will become unlimited.”