“In terms of what’s revolutionizing the industry, nothing is really clear-cut. The whole industry in general is revolutionizing the energy crisis,” says Nick Sherman, Director of Sales and Marketing for Solar Energy Exchange.
While various innovations continually enter the solar market, such as new types of sealant, new financing options, and building integrated products, Sherman believes that current modules with inverter configuration will stay the way of the future.
“I feel that none of these [new] products will dramatically change the residential solar market … Little inventions will do nothing more than minimally increase company margins.”
According to Sherman, modules dominate the residential solar market because they are reliable sources of solar power, with an expected 80 percent life efficiency after 40 years of use and high efficiency levels per square foot than comparable alternatives, such as thin film. Sherman recommends modules manufactured by SunPower, which designs, manufactures, and delivers high efficiency solar technology worldwide. “They offer a superior quality and efficiency in the solar market, and no one else can compete,” Sherman adds.
Even more impressive to Sherman than the latest fads or innovations is the steady rate of return on solar investments, even as the solar industry itself fluctuates.
“The solar industry is a constant teeter totter with financial return on investment in the middle. On one side you have the cost of the system and on the other side you have incentives and utility rates.”Given this dynamic, the cost of solar systems has stayed virtually the same over the last 5 years.
As the cost of natural resources continues to rise, public knowledge of solar energy grows steadily. At the same time, there are always new incentives on solar power while electricity costs remain high. Given these facts, Sherman believes that solar power is a viable force in the energy industry, one that is gradually earning more and more attention. He states,
“In my opinion solar will be the most abundant and used source of energy in the world one day.”