On May 31st, 2011, Pike Research LLC (Boulder, Colorado, U.S.) announced the release of a white paper which states that business models in clean energy industries are being rapidly transformed against a backdrop of regulatory uncertainty.

"Clean Energy: Ten Trends to Watch in 2011 and Beyond" notes the diversification of technologies in the solar sector, investor-owned utilities returning to ownership and development of renewable energy generation and the revival of direct current (DC) transmission and distribution.

“As the clean energy industry matures and as it simultaneously comes to grips with economic challenges, market leaders are experimenting with new business models, both at a large scale and on a distributed basis,” says Pike Research Senior Analyst Peter Asmus.

“At the same time, key industry players are utilizing an increasingly wider diversity of technology options, especially in the solar and wind sectors.”

The report states that clean energy industries are emerging from a challenging period caused by the global economic downturn. It also notes that many clean energy industries are returning to business models that were previously abandoned.

Large utility-owned PV projects concentrated in California

Pike Research notes that while the United States represents a small percentage of the global solar market, that it is in the lead for utility-scale solar projects, with investor-owned utilities financing an increasing share of larger systems.

The company further recognizes that California accounts for 63% of the utility-scale solar PV pipeline, and that it is one of few states to authorize utility-owned generation systems.

The state's public utilities commission has authorized the construction of 1.1GW of these systems over the next five years.

2011-06-02| Courtesy: Pike Research LLC | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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