The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry starts off in 2015, once again confronted by a range of obstacles and challenges to suppliers seeking to increase market-share. Understanding the scope and consequences of these key issues and trends will be a focus of the new company FinlaySolar Ltd., founded today.
Announcing the new company, Finlay Colville, founder at FinlaySolar Ltd., said: The solar PV industry offers no shortage of opportunities for revenue and market-share growth in 2015, but choosing to focus on the best markets, at the correct times, has rarely been more challenging. Having quality market intelligence at the country, technology and policy level is likely to separate the final winners and losers at the end of the year.
End-market deployment above 60 gigawatts (GW) during 2015 is likely to become a strong reality once first quarter shipments are concluded. This annual market growth potential, compared to 2014, is expected to force leading solar PV suppliers to develop different strategies for capacity expansions and project pipeline development.
Getting the right blend and mix of upstream and downstream investments will be critical, added Colville. From a tactical standpoint, acquisitions and mergers are likely to offer the quickest and lowest risk route to growing capacity and enhancing sales pipelines. However, adding new capacity at the optimum time of the year, and in the correct locations, will ultimately frame the short-list of companies that will emerge best positioned for market dominance in 2016.
About the Founder
Until November 2014, Finlay Colville was Vice-President and Team Leader at NPD Solarbuzz. In the past 15 years, he has held a range of senior management positions across various sales, marketing and market-research activities at NPD Solarbuzz and Coherent, Inc. Colville has a BSc. in Physics and a Ph.D. in Nonlinear Photonics from the University of St. Andrews.
