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Is the Solar Industry Prepared for Rising Demand?

According to new research in partnership with Wood Mackenzie, the Solar Energy Industries Association predicts that United States-based solar output and infrastructure will see itself grow four times over during the course of the next decade, representing skyrocketing demand for the renewable energy. But is the industry ready to match those escalating expectations? To find…

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According to new research in partnership with Wood Mackenzie, the Solar Energy Industries Association predicts that United States-based solar output and infrastructure will see itself grow four times over during the course of the next decade, representing skyrocketing demand for the renewable energy.

But is the industry ready to match those escalating expectations?

To find out, Voice of B2B Daniel Litwin was joined on this episode of MarketScale TV by Carl Kasalek, CEO of U.S. Energy Recovery, and Cale Garamendi, Vice President of Project Development for Sandbar Solar & Electric.

Regarding the growth estimate from SEIA, Garamendi said it may not be accurate – but only because the industry could see even more growth than that over the next decade.

“We’re only going to see an acceleration as greater and greater adoption becomes the norm,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a bit of a flood.”

However, if that’s true, that makes the need for robust planning and infrastructure even more critical.

“If you’re going to produce all of this capacity, you have to have a way to use it. Particularly with daytime loads and [how it’s happened] in California, it’s been a great learning experience from the rest of the nation. … The problem is cost.”

To fight back, innovation will have to both come about naturally in solar technology and as a result of other sectors, such as electric vehicles, finding more cost-effective ways to accomplish the same goals.

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