Solar - Energy Policy Analysis: A Conceptual Framework - page 112

ment, and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. With acquisition of its
SunEdison subsidiary, MEMC is also now a developer of solar power projects and a worldwide
leader in solar energy services (MEMC 2011).
Major changes to MEMC's business model were announced with acquisition of SunEdison.
MEMC made further inroads into the project arena and leveraged its US$1 billion in cash and
short-term investments to fuel demand for its solar wafers. MEMC now participates in the actual
development of solar power plants and commercialization of photovoltaic technology, in addition
to supplying the solar and semiconductor industries with their traditional silicon wafer products.
MEMC expected a significant percentage of projects undertaken by SunEdison in the future to
use its wafers (MEMC 2011).
SunEdison's PV project pipeline rose sharply in early 2011, increasing by 32 percent, or 454
MWe, to 1,870 MWe, making it a major player in the PV project development market. MEMC
expected SunEdison's PV installations to more than double in 2011, with the United States remain-
ing the largest market (Osborne 2010). Similar expansions were projected by other photovoltaic
developers—Sungevity (www.sungevity.com) and SunRun (www.sunrunhome.com).
Mainstream adoption of residential solar photovoltaic technology took another step forward
with the announcement that cost estimates for Sungevity photovoltaic installations utilizing the
company's Solar Lease arrangement will be available at Lowe's home improvement stores and
that Lowe's has taken an equity position in Sungevity. The partnership began in summer 2011 at
all Lowe's stores in states where Sungevity provides services, including Arizona, California, Colo-
rado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York (Kennedy 2011). Another
approach to the retail market is being taken by SunPower Corporation, which will offer California
purchasers of new Ford Focus electric and electric-hybrid vehicles in 2012 the option of install-
ing a PV solar array at their homes to offset the electricity they use to charge their vehicles (Hull
2011, J10). In this way, SunPower hopes to expand its market share by encouraging purchasers
of electric vehicles to add additional solar panels to cover their household energy use.
Meanwhile, Google Inc. has created a $280 million fund to help finance rooftop installations
by SolarCity, a solar panel installation company based in San Mateo, California. SolarCity now
has fifteen such funds in place, with partners such as Citigroup Inc. and U.S. Bancorp. Accord-
ing to the Solar Energy Industries Association, residential installations nationwide have grown
steadily and are expected to keep expanding; by the end of 2010, home solar panels were capable
of producing seventy-four megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 74,000 average
California homes. That was up 33 percent from the beginning of the year (Hsu 2011).
In January 2009, Interlock Roofing Ltd., one of North America's leading manufacturers of
Energy Star aluminum lifetime metal roofing products, announced the availability of an alumi-
num roofing product comprised of a thin-film solar laminate integrated onto the surface of their
standing seam aluminum roofing panels. No roof penetrations and no additional structural support
are required for this roofing system. A person can walk on the laminated panels, and the panel/
laminate bond has been proven to withstand wind forces of 160 mph. Moreover, Interlock alumi-
num roofing is made from recycled and recyclable materials and is therefore an environmentally
sustainable roofing choice. These roofing panels, with complete electrical control systems, are
available through building contractors throughout North America, with financing provided by
Interlock Roofing (Interlock Roofing Ltd. 2009).
Another company finding new financial benefits in utilizing underutilized roof space for
photovoltaic systems is Prologis, which provides industrial warehouse and distribution space
worldwide. Headquartered in Denver, Prologis owns 475 million square feet of this type of
space, making it one of the largest owners of roof space in the world (NREL 2009). The large,