US solar demand improving but financing remains roadblock

BOULDER, USA: The appetite for solar projects in the United States has lagged market leaders like Germany and Spain, however increased federal and state subsidies have begun to take effect and demand for solar in certain markets like New Jersey and California is heating up.

According to a new report from Pike Research, the US solar market will surpass Spain in 2009 and will top Germany by 2013. However, the firm points out that financing for solar projects remains elusive.

"The weak supply of tax equity combined with heightened credit requirements has led to numerous project cancellations and delays nationwide, with over 75 MW, totaling $450 million, of idle projects in New Jersey alone," says industry analyst George Kotzias. But the tide is beginning to turn as evidenced by Wells Fargo and U.S. Bancorp -- both of which have established tax equity funds for solar projects."

In Pike Research’s analysis, solar companies that stand to benefit most from a US boom include First Solar, SunPower, Suntech, Yingli, Akeena, and Real Goods Solar.

"As soon as financing picks up, the demand is there," says Kotzias. "In addition to the increase in subsidies, module prices have dropped by as much as 50 percent and installed costs have dropped over 30 percent over the past year," he adds. This combination of drivers has attracted the market entry of established developers from Europe as well as many domestic start-ups.

'Green' telecom equipment to represent 46pc of network capex by 2013

BOULDER, USA: Energy consumption is one of the leading drivers of operating expenses for both fixed and mobile telecom network operators. Reliable access to electricity is limited in many developing countries that are currently the high-growth markets for telecommunications.

At the same time, many operators have adopted corporate social responsibility initiatives with a goal of reducing their networks’ carbon footprints, and network infrastructure vendors are striving to gain competitive advantage by reducing the power requirements of their equipment.

According to a new report from Pike Research, all of these factors will continue to converge over the next several years, and “green” network equipment will grow to represent 46 percent of the $277 billion global telecom infrastructure market by 2013.

“Improved energy efficiency is the first step in creating greener telecom networks,” says managing director Clint Wheelock. “Reduced power requirements will facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaics, wind energy, and fuel cells, while also opening the door for more efficient network architectures and topologies. This is especially true in remote areas where networks rely heavily on diesel generators for primary and backup power.”

Adds Wheelock, some of the telecom operators and equipment vendors leading the charge to create greener networks include China Mobile, Cisco, Huawei, Juniper Networks, Nokia Siemens Networks, Telstra, and Vodafone.