Strategic Analysis of the Downstream Component of the US Photovoltaic (PV) Value Chain

Abstract

With the commercial and financial success of wind energy, investors are asking: What will be the next successful low carbon energy technology? Despite the current diminutive size of the market, a vast majority of this speculation has been directed towards PV due to its potential to decentralize power generation, the fact that solar is a peak load generating source, and the rapid rate of growth recently seen in the market. However, the response to this hype has been lopsided, with 90% of solar venture capital investment and the majority of consulting and research efforts aimed at upstream components of the value chain such as PV cell technology, manufacturing, and supply chain. This paper seeks to fill the gap in current knowledge about the US PV Market by analyzing the competitive strategies being employed by firms who design, build, operate, finance, and own PV projects in the US and how these strategies are shaping the market.