Solar Panel Pricing - what was said at the Segen Conference

[Worcester]

Interesting comments from both Canadian Solar and Upsolar at the Segen conf in Cheltenham today.

Both said that 70%-80% of their global sales where done in the EU.. - the EU is the largest market by a long way.

Both blatantly said that Government FIT levels determine local pricing - so the reason we paid so much last year was because the FIT was so high, and that there is still some room for prices to come down a little further. (Got offered by Segen Renesol at 43p / Watt delivered )

Both only believe that their markets / the PV market worldwide is sustainable when prodcution costs are low enough to make the investment pay at grid parity.

They are also losing money - they claim to be selling at below cost, and that the likes of Canadian Solar are just losing less money than others (LDK, Yingli, ..)

Also Segen's Chief Exec was there lording himself about - scruffy b****r ... They put on a good conference, yet we still have to buy anything from them yet!

Good talks from the Solar Trade Association and BPVA guys as well.

 

[Gavin A]

conversely, we've put in the region of a million quid through them, and I had no idea they'd got another conference on...

I probably missed that email, not that I'm particularly bothered.

 

[SRE]

I missed it too and I'd have liked to have gone. We've used them quite a bit and they've amost always provided a good service and that scruffy ****** may well be scruffy but when I had a chat with him about some issues I had with Segen when I was at the UKsolar conference last year and had a phone call sorting it out on the next working day.

 

[Gavin A]

I view it as the bosses perogative to be a scruffy *******

I'll often go on surveys in my installation shorts, and steelies... sets us aside from the shiny suit brigade anyway.

 

[SRE]

Apparently Segen invited all the installers within a 100 mile radius of Cheltenham, there's going to be another in Sheffield in October they are just sorting out dates now.

 

[Gavin A]

ah, ok that's better... well actually November would be much better than october, I might just email them to point this out.

 

[SolarCity]

I view it as the bosses perogative to be a scruffy *******

I'll often go on surveys in my installation shorts, and steelies... sets us aside from the shiny suit brigade anyway.

I never know what to wear! Normally go in smart casual clothes for domestic and something a little smarter for the bigger companies.

 

[Energetic]

ah, ok that's better... well actually November would be much better than october, I might just email them to point this out.

our nearest conference was on the 23rd of Feb. Needless to say we missed it and turnout was below expectations...