Michelle Davis of Wood Mackenzie discusses global PV oversupply and forecasts the pricing floor for Chinese solar modules.
Prediction Open · timeframe Dec 2050
Davis: Solar will make up 40% of US generating capacity by 2050
“According to our outlooks, by twenty-fifty, 40% of the generating capacity, just like electricity generating capacity in, in the U.S. Will be solar.”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Davis: Solar will basically be the energy industry in two decades
“Solar is not just sort of one of the fastest growing, most important renewable energy technologies. It's one of the fastest growing, most important energy technologies, period. Like it will be basically The energy industry in the next couple of decades. Like, …”
Prediction Partly held up
Davis: Global solar growth rates to slow, remaining flat in China
“But then, you know, this year and next year we're sort of hitting, we're kind of like hitting past that inflection point and growth rates are actually going to slow in many different markets. China being one of them. So growth's actually flat over the next sev…”
Opinion
Davis: Grid capacity constraints are slowing solar growth in key markets
“And I would argue that in all three of those markets, you're seeing slowing growth because of grid capacity constraints.”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Davis: China will maintain solar manufacturing dominance despite global factory buildouts
“Even if all the different announcements, whether in China or in the rest of the world, come to fruition, the share that China makes up isn't really going to change that much. Like, maybe a couple percentage points as other Countries around the globe build out …”
Prediction Held up
Davis: Only 50 GW of 120 GW announced US capacity will materialize
“Again, like I said, we don't anticipate all of that. 120 gigawatts of module manufacturing is going to get built. We expect it'll be more like, you know, 50 or so over the next you know, four or five years.”