The Solar Climate Solution

Rhone Resch
President & CEO
Solar Energy Industries Association®
About SEIA

• U.S. National Trade Association for Solar Industry

– 1,000 member companies
– 14 state and regional chapters
– 93,000 people employed in the U.S. across the solar value
chain

• SEIA’s Mission
– Build a strong solar industry to power America.

• Voice of Solar in U.S.

– We represent the solar industry’s interests in the U.S.
Energy Use at Heart of Climate Change

• Globally, energy Global Anthropogenic GHG Emissions by

Sector (2004)
supply is the Waste &
Wastewater: 3%
number one
Forestry: 17% Energy Supply:
source of GHG 26%

emissions, and
thus the sector
with the most
dramatic Agriculture: 14%

opportunity to Transport: 13%

affect future
change.
Industry: 19% Residential &
Commercial
Buildings: 8%
Source: IPCC Assessment Report 4 (2007), Summary of Policymakers: Figure SPM 3
*Forestry includes deforestation
 The Same is True in the U.S.

• The U.S. emits 0.55 metric tons of CO2-e/MWh, with most of the
emissions from coal.
• Without policy changes, fossil fuels, led by coal, will continue to
dominate energy supply.
 Solar Is a Substantial Part of the Climate Change Solution
• Global solar associations have a combined goal of ~1,000 GW of
solar installed by 2020
• Reduces carbon emissions by more than ½ gigaton (Gt) annually
• To achieve the 450 ppm target, the world needs to reduce emissions
from the energy sector by 5-7 Gt of CO2e per year by 20201

Carbon Reduction Needed to Stabilize

Climate “The 450 ppm
Solar Goal:
0.57 Gt climate
(13%)
stabilization goal
looks well within
reach.”
Other
Technologies:
-Gigaton
4.43 Gt
(87%)
Throwdown
1 Gigaton Throwdown, http://www.gigatonthrowdown.org/
Why Solar?

• Although solar is only one of the solutions, it is a critical one.

• The global industry has grown 47% annually over the past
decade with huge growth potential ahead.
• No site carbon or GHG emissions.
• Offsets our greatest pollution sources – fossil fuels.
• Works in every nation.
• Technology advancements, although welcome, are not
necessary to get us to the gigaton avoidance scale
• Provides energy access to those not yet connected to the grid,
improving quality of life and providing jobs across the world
In the U.S., Solar is Clearly Part of Our Climate Solution
35
Projected U.S. Solar Market Growth and Associated Carbon
Reduction, 2010-2020 30 GW 120

30

100
25

Emissions Avoided (Mt CO2e)

Annual Installations (GW)

80
20

60
15

10 GW 40
10

5 20

1 GW

0 -
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Baseline SEIA 2015 Goal COP16 Target Mt

Baseline Forecast: SEIA/GTM Research, U.S. Solar Market Insight 2Q 2010

If Solar Works in the U.S. . . .
• With some of the cheapest energy sources in the world, the U.S. is still
projected to become the largest global solar market in the 2013-15 timeframe.
• In fact, solar is projected to be the largest source of new capacity additions in
the US in the same timeframe.
10

8
Annual Installations (GW)

0
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Coal Nuclear Natural Gas CC Wind SEIA's Solar Targets

Wednesday, December 01, 2010 © 2009 SEIA 8

 … It Can Work Anywhere
35
Baseline Global PV Market Demand, 2008-2015

30

Rest of World
Rest of Asia
25
South Korea
Japan
India
GW Installed Annually

20 China
United States
Canada
15 Rest of Europe
Spain
Italy
Greece
10
Germany
France
Czech Republic
5

0
2008 2009E 2010E 2011E 2012E 2013E 2014E 2015E

Source: GTM Research

Solar Powered Jobs
• Not only will solar mitigate climate change, it will also grow economies.
• There will be roughly 700,000 solar jobs in the U.S. by 2020, and more
than 1 million in the EU by 2020.
700,000
U.S. Solar Jobs, 2010-2020
600,000

500,000
Jobs (Direct and Indirect)

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

-
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

EuPD Baseline TSF Solar Jobs Census COP16 Target

Source: EuPD Baseline Forecast; The Solar Foundation

How Do We Accelerate Our Solar Future?

1. Develop policy measures that promote stable,

sustainable solar markets
2. Promote widespread education/awareness of solar
energy
3. Maintain quality of product and installation process
4. Allow financiers, investors and entrepreneurs
greater opportunities to invest in solar
5. Continue technology development and cost
reductions across the solar value chain

Wednesday, December 01, 2010 © 2009 SEIA 11

 The Solution Starts Today: Government Action Needed Now
• Regardless of the progress of negotiators here in Cancun, we
can’t afford to wait for a global accord to take action.
• Manufacturing
incentives
• Solar purchase
incentives
• Government
procurement
Nellis Air Force Base National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• R&D funding
• Public land access
• Upgraded
transmission
• Streamlined
permitting
• Net metering
Moon Palace U.S. Department of Energy
The Solution Starts Today: Corporate Action Needed Now
• Corporations across the globe are installing solar today for many
reasons:
• Energy expense
savings
• Enhanced reliability
• Off-grid siting
• Redundant power
• Future fuel price Google eBay
hedging
• Corporate
responsibility
• Customer demand
• Employee
satisfaction
Crayola Walmart
 "Climate change is humanity's biggest long-term
challenge, but it is also our greatest opportunity.”

“The next few decades will see a revolution: a revolution

in the way energy is produced and consumed.”

-Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary,

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Nov 29, 2010
Opening Briefing of COP 16

Rhone Resch
President & CEO
Solar Energy Industries Association®
rresch@seia.org