Solar Power Finance Without the Jargon

Description

Solar power has become big business, with $131 billion invested in 2018, up from just $11.2 billion in 2004 but down from $171 billion in 2017 as unit costs fell. New installed capacity grew from 1.1GW in 2004 to about 107GW in 2018, a steady rise as solar begins to compete with fossil fuels on cost and to be built in nearly every country. This is a book for the solar workers of the future, a business book for those without a business or economics background and those simply curious about major shifts happening in the world energy economy. Key financial, economic and technical concepts are interspersed with the history of the first decade of cheap solar power, and the author's experience of being part of a successful startup in the clean energy sector. About the Author Acknowledgements Contents 1 Introduction 2 Solar Technologies — The Basics 3 Startups 4 Startups: Case Study of a Startup (BloombergNEF) 5 Timeline of Relevant Milestones for Solar 6 2005–2008: The First Big Solar, Supply Constraints 7 The Magic of the Experience Curve 8 September 29, 2008: When the Solar Boom Went Bust 9 Forecasting Methods: Difficulties and Discontinuities 10 How Markets Set Power Prices 11 Networking and Other Stuff Not Taught at State Schools 12 Solar After the 2008 Crash: Finding a New Normal 13 Solar Failures 2009–2013: Case Studies 14 Project Finance and Calculating the Cost of Energy 15 2014 and 2015: Solar Auctions, Auto-Consumption and Sun Taxes 16 2016–2018: Solar Is Cheap, but What DoesIt Mean? 17 Technology Focus: Solar Thermal ElectricityGeneration 18 Technology Focus: Photovoltaics 19 Operating Solar Plants, and How Big Data Can Help 20 Trade Wars 21 Will Offgrid Solar Leapfrog in the Developing World? 22 Can Solar Save the World? 23 The Challenges of Intermittency, and Possible Solutions 24 What Next for Solar? References Key Terminology Index