UK Conference On PV
Solarplaza has confirmed the speaker programme for the UK PV Conference, and can now offer a sneak preview of the solar industry event, which will take place in London on 22 June 2010. Conference participants can expect a range of new perspectives on the UK solar industry, which is set for substantial growth in the wake of the feed-in tariffs (FITs) introduced on 1 April 2010. The prestigious line-up of speakers includes internationally renowned solar energy experts Hermann Scheer and Jeremy Leggett.
Edwin Koot, CEO of Solarplaza, will open the proceedings at 9.15am with an overview of PV markets worldwide. The morning session that follows will focus on the new political framework for PV in the UK. Philip Wolfe, managing director of Ownergy, will talk about the new FITs and how they work; Stefanie Rief of the National Energy Foundation will discuss whether the Microgeneration Certification Scheme is a market entry barrier or a necessity for the UK market; Keith Duncan will explain the role and position of the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) in the UK PV market.
Session II, which begins at 10.30am, will look at solar PV development from the point of view of various stakeholders. Ray Noble, PV specialist at the Renewable Energy Association, will speak about the business opportunities available to the UK solar industry within the new framework; Clive Collison of system integrator South Facing will discuss his experience of solar PV projects. Then Hermann Scheer, president of Eurosolar and member of the German parliament, will offer his thoughts on the solar economy and explain why the UK should invest in PV.
Session III, which begins at 2.00pm, will focus on business and market opportunities in the UK. Jeremy Leggett, chairman of Solarcentury, will make market growth predictions and discuss strategy for benefiting from the FITs; Giuliano Digilio of the Electrical Contractors’ Association will look at the opportunity from the point of view of electrical contractors; Teun van Bokhoven, CEO of ZEN Renewables and spokesman for the Dutch Renewable Energy Association, will ask if the FITs can do for the UK what they have for Belgium; Thomas Wedde of SMA Solar Technology will talk about new inverter developments.
The fourth and final session of the one-day conference, which will begin at 4.00pm, will focus on financing opportunities and experiences in the field. Ben Hall of Trina Solar, will discuss why crystalline technology is the right solution for the UK solar market; Bruce Huber of Jefferies International will discuss the business opportunities for investment bankers and Paul Lewis, CEO of Self Energy UK, will offer an investor’s viewpoint.
“This is an outstanding line-up for a conference of this kind,” says the organiser Edwin Koot, CEO of Solarplaza. “Conference participants will leave with a good understanding of where the opportunities lie, and which segments of the market are most likely to benefit in the short term. They will learn what the conditions are like for the development of large-scale solar and residential projects in the UK, and they will gain insight into which business models are most likely to benefit from the improved framework conditions for solar energy in the UK.”
