Business Development and Environmental Impact in the Solar (PV) Field

The techno-economic analysis of a PV system is designed to measure the viability of the designed system from an economical and technological point of view assuming some specific environmental conditions. In this research, for the techno-economic analysis of PV system the authors are focused on four general categories of factors which are highly influential on the investment decision in this field. These are the PV system costs, the electricity cost, the sunlight and other environmental characteristics and the financial incentives. Each of this factors is analyzed in order to understand and evaluate the general conditions that influence the decision in the photovoltaic business. The methodology that is used for explaining the real business environment in PV field and the main indicators that can estimate the investment profitability is the case study related to formal opportunities for developing PV investment projects in Romania. The investors in PV field have to understand the life cycle of a PV system that can give an overlook of the cost reduction opportunities and also make them sensible to the decommissioning phase of such an investment. For future investments in the PV field in Europe the authors identified and analyzed the main factors that characterize the PV business development in the next period.

Business Models With H2

Energy transition from a carbon energy driven world to a decarbonized world (H2) is essential for the living for our next generations. Our existing energy source with contents in the beginning (1850) nearly only the element C are used with all their consequences for the burning process and environmental impact. Nowadays the C element in our present energy sources are getting less and less. The environmental impact using fossil energy is huge and with the climate change more and more deadly for the inhabitants on the earth. Producing H2 as a sustainable and renewable energy is only possible using renewable energy sources like PV, Wind, Hydro, Biomass. With today's technology and the constant falling energy prices since the last 20 years H2 is now an alternative secondary energy source for a substitute for fossil sources. Using H2 will give new and unique business advantages. With these business advantages, new and innovative business models can be designed and developed. These novel approaches can be very sensitive to external influences. This destructives situations are making these BM very fragile. Finding ways to stabilize these on a long term without aid from the outside the key for success are new innovative technologies and new innovative BM.

Business Models in Renewable Energy Industry

Business models (BM) are, at present, a dynamic model that is continuously evaluated. The main research approaches are analyzing BM from different perspectives: resource oriented, transaction narrative and also from an entrepreneurship perspective. There remains to be seen how new business models are defined based on innovation and technological improvements for the distribution of renewable energy. Nowadays, on the global political agenda, renewable energy is a solution for reducing the greenhouse gases and their impact to climate change. In order to fulfill the European Union targets for reducing the greenhouse gas emission the EU countries introduced promotion models for renewable energy that are also an opportunity for new business ideas. The selected case studies analyze the main support schemes that are implemented in Europe, for example the Feed in Tariff in Germany and Green Certificates in Romania. Unfortunately, the process of transition to renewable energy is not so easy. The authors are analyzing the main obstacles related to the development of renewable energy and based on a questionnaire research studies they further analyze the main risk factors in the photovoltaic sector in Romania. This chapter should give an overview about the business models and the related opportunities and obstacles for the transition to renewable energy in Europe.

Trends in the Renewable Energy Business

The renewable energy business increase its volume each year due to the technology development and due to new business opportunities based on international (e.g., EU) and national support schemes, that have the goal to reduce the CO2 and other emissions of GHG. This chapter presents the main trends in the renewable energy business with main focus on the PV and H2 business. The objective of this chapter is to design a picture of the future of the renewable energy and not only. It is a view of the future of our planet in a dynamic environment characterized by proliferation of new renewable energy installments that are more personalized due to the diffusion of new information and communication technologies (IoT, Big Data, Smart grid) and new business models. The chapter offer an answer regarding to the future of renewable energy business in general, and to the future of PV and H2 business in special.

Evolving Business Models in the Renewable Energy

New business models in the solar PV business were pushed from government policies worldwide for reducing GHG emissions. Therefore, PV system installments increase exorbitant in the last years with the consequences of constant falling of prices for PV system and energy. All these quickly changed conditions, means new flexible BM. Power purchase agreements, Product Service Systems, demand resource provider, energy performance contracts are evolving rapidly in the renewable energy business. There is a variation of new PV BM for use. PV represent a new energy source for producing H2 as a storable renewable fuel in an overcapacity situation. Using H2 in combination with other systems, like hybrid systems, heat pumps gives new unique business opportunities. Decentralization will be the key to success. Other applications like mobility and long term storage are other further alternatives in connections or combination with the volatile renewable energy sources.