Solar Industry Market Shines Through 2011

A poll of 100 solar professionals concludes the U.S. solar industry will experience strong growth in 2010 and 2011, but other studies warn an increasingly saturated market will cause problems for the industry after that. The "2009 U.S. Solar Industry Monitor," conducted by management consulting firm Droege & Co., finds that 93% of solar professionals expect strong growth for their U.S. businesses in 2010 and 95% expect the same for 2011. After retracting by some 20% in 2009, respondents expect over 25% growth in 2010 (37%) and 2011 (55%). 65% say the recession hasn’t crushed the U.S. solar industry. The main obstacles to growth, according to the survey, are lack of financing (82%), little support from utilities (63%), lack of customer knowledge (61%) and insufficient incentives (59%). They see more favorable legislation and increased marketing efforts as the keys to expansion of their businesses. A full 83% say they plan to step up sales and marketing communications over the coming year. "The U.S. solar industry is positioning itself for a sales upswing in 2010 that could pave the way for aggressive expansion in the years beyond," says Sebastian Goeres, a renewable energy specialist with Droege. "Competition is fierce, and players […]

Read More