Welcome Hello and welcome to the first issue of the BPVA’s new members’ magazine, Network. The BPVA was set up six years ago to be the voice of the UK solar PV industry. Today our remit is about empowering the UK solar industry at home and abroad. With Network we will communicate our efforts and those of our members to a wider audience in the UK and internationally. With over 10GW of PV installed, the UK solar industry has developed significant expertise that can be offered to new and emerging markets, creating export opportunities. We are committed to growing Network’s global reach as the leading platform for promoting the sector. Regulatory changes have created a challenging economic environment in the UK solar industry, but we are confident of the outlook for the rooftop sector. Our first issue includes a discussion about the BPVA’s future strategy, reflecting the transition the UK and global PV industry is going through. There are positive signs that Ireland’s solar market is on the cusp of taking off. Several large-scale projects are in the pipeline. Annually Ireland’s solar PV installations could exceed 250MW. With the lifting of international trade sanctions, western investment is seeking opportunities in Iran, including the country’s nascent renewables industry. Our first issue brings you up to speed on Iran’s solar potential, developments in policy and highlights the challenges that remain in terms of providing investors and developers with assurances they need before entering this exciting potential market. The UK is shaping up to be one of Europe’s first adopters of energy storage and electric vehicle (EV) demand is growing, driven by British consumers’ growing interest in energy self-sufficiency. Network aims to keep you up to speed on synergies between the solar PV and these emerging sectors. These are, without doubt, challenging times for the UK’s rooftop solar industry. The recent cuts to support will thin the industry out. The bright side is that established players are finding new models and approaches to enhance the value of solar energy. The focus has switched to developing offerings and services that increase self-sufficiency through optimised use of solar PV electricity. That can only be good news for both residential consumers and large energy users. In this issue we hear from Lightsource about private-wire power purchase agreements, which the company is using to finance projects for commercial customers. We hope you enjoy reading Network and look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas. Reza Shaybani Chairman
www.bpva.org.uk
The Rt Hon Lord Barker of Battle President
June 2016 | network 1