Solar Roundtables
Solar / PV roundtable
PES is proud to present our first roundtable interview, in which the great and good of the solar/PV community debate and discuss the burning issues of the moment. We're delighted to have secured access to some of the sector's foremost thinkers, and are sure you'll be engaged and illuminated by what they've got to say.
Contributors:
Paula Mints
Director, Energy Practice, Navigant Consulting
Evelyn Butler
Director, Business Strategy & Analysis, Energy Sector, Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
Carsten Busch
Industry Segment Manager Solar / Head of Profit Center
Solar/PV roundtable
PES: Welcome to PES magazine. For readers who mightn't be familiar with the work of your organisation, can you firstly explain how you fit into the PV framework?
Andrew Lee: Sharp is the biggest and most experienced manufacturer of solar panels in the UK and Europe, producing 500 MW of solar PV every year in the UK. Cumulatively, we have produced over 4 GW of solar cells to date. The European factory is based in Wrexham, UK, which has seen vast expansion over the last year - we have recently created 300 new jobs and almost doubled our annual production capacity. Sharp was the original pioneer in the development of solar technology and, more recently, was the first PV manufacturer to integrate its training academy with its production facilities, offering tradespeople of
Solar/PV roundtable
The most talked-about feature in PES returns, with a fresh selection of questions for the industry's most incisive and intelligent commentators. Their approaches may differ, but rest assured that you're getting the very best analysis that the industry can provide.
PES: Do you think we will see a time when energy produced by solar/PV becomes a major export for Europe's sun-blessed countries?
Paul Brody: Yes, I believe that will be possible. Cross-border power generation and sales are already standard practices in the utility industry and solar are likely to be no exception. There is certain to be challenges unique to solar including the fact that output cannot be guaranteed.
