25 January –  Day 1: Conference 

 

08:30       Registration and coffee

09:15       Opening Symposium by Chairman Edwin Koot, CEO, Solarplaza

Brief introduction of the global PV market perspective

 

Session I: Policy and Regulation Update and Forecast for the South African PV Market

09:30       The Government Official: Government  policy and rationale behind the revised Feed-in Tariffs

09:45       The Industry Expert: What are the conditions and requirements for developing PV projects and for local production in South Africa?

• What is the influence and effect of the local content requirements?
• Can South African content compete internationally and is this the spark to ignite a new industry?
• How do the BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) aspects impact the Request for Proposals (RfP)?
• What effect do the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers (RE IPP) have on South African production and development?
• How can foreign manufacturers and suppliers work successfully in South Africa?
• What are the vision and forecasts for 2012 to 2014 regarding what is likely to happen?

Peet du Plooy
Programme Manager: Sustainable Growth, TIPS

10:00       The Energy Utility Expert: What role can solar PV play in the future energy mix?

• What is the solar PV vision of the energy utility?
• What are the needs and electricity demand dynamics in South Africa's electricity market?
• Where and how does solar energy fit into the energy mix?
• What would be an ideal PV power plant size?
• What are the challenges and opportunities?

Ayanda Nakedi
Senior General Manager, Eskom Renewables

 

10:15       The Debate:  What are the business opportunities in South Africa's PV market?

• What and where are the opportunities?
• What is needed to make solar PV successful in SA?
• When will solar PV be competitive without subsidies and FiT's?
• Who should and will take the initiative?

Karen Breytenbach - Department of National Treasury
Peet du Plooy - TIPS
Ayanda Nakedi - Eskom Renewables
Dr. Christopher Haw - South African Photovoltaic Association 

10:45       Coffee break

Session II:  International Experience with Large Scale PV Power Plants

11:30       The solar resource expert: What is a realistic energy output forecasts and LCOE of a 10 MW ground based PV power plant in South Africa?

• What does a 10 MW business case and PV plant look like (assumptions)?
• What are realistic energy production forecasts for a 10 MW project in South Africa?
• What would be a realistic LCOE (levelised cost of energy) in $/kWh for a project built in 2012?
• How could this LCEO be impacted by expected lower module prices in 2013?

Xavier Daval

CEO & Founder, KiloWattSol

11:45    The PV Power Plant Owner: What can be learnt from experiences with a very large ground based PV power plant in Europe/USA?

• What are the lessons learnt to date with large scale PV power plant development in Europe?
• What were the investment and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs?
• What are the operational experiences?
• What is the output and what are monitoring results?
• What possibilities are there to further reduce the levelised cost of energy (LCOE)?

Jan Jacob Boom-Wichers

Managing Director, France, BeNeLux, UK and Ireland, REC Solar

12:00       The EPC: What are the dos and don’ts of large scale PV project development?

• What does it take to develop and build a large-scale PV power plant?
• What would the plant design look like and what are the area requirements?
• What is the expected investment cost for a PV power plant in SA in 2013?
• What are the technology trends and which technologies would be applied? 
• What is the impact of the module choice on system yield?
• How does a business case work in practice for a customer?

Dennis Gieselaar

Managing Director & Co-Founder, Oskomera Solar Power Solutions

12:15       The Plenary Discussion:  What are the opportunities for large scale PV power plants in the SA market?

• What and where are the opportunities for large-scale PV projects?
• Are large scale PV power plants an alternative to new nuclear power plants?
• How can PV plants empower the existing grid?
• Will a market emerge for PPA (Power Purchase Agreement)?
• How will international developments impact the market development?
• Q&A between audience and the speaker-experts

 

 

Dick Berlijn - Subsolar
Dennis Gieselaar - Oskomera SPS
Xavier Daval - KiloWattSol
Senior Expert - REC Solar

12:40       Joint Networking Lunch

The optimal networking platform for all participants. The buffet lunch is the ideal moment to meet the sponsors, share your knowledge and meet your future business partners.

Session III:  Financing of Large Solar PV Power Plants

14:00       The Bank Expert: What financing and insurance issues are involved for a large scale PV power plant project?

• What are project conditions and requirements for debt financing of VLS PV plants?
• What practical experiences and lessons have been learnt?
• What are the costs of solar PV project financing?
• What does a case study for a 100 MW PV project finance look like?

Omar Vajeth
 Head of Power and Energy, Absa Capital

 

14:15       The Legal Expert: What are the legal issues in the South African context for large scale PV?

• What type of PPA contracts are feasible and what are the experiences in the market?
• What has been the practical experience with the legal aspects so far?
• What are the do's and don’ts?
• How have the legal aspects impacted the RfP process so far?

Scott Brodsky
Partner, Dewey and LeBoeuf

 

14:35       The Insurance Company: Risk assessment for a large-scale PV power plant

• What are financial risks of a solar PV project development?
• What type of insurance is required and available in the market?
• What costs are involved in insuring PV projects?

Natasha Wally
Assistant Vice President, Marsh

 

14:55       The Plenary Discussion:  How can large-scale PV power plants be financed in SA? 

• What financing opportunities are available for large-scale PV projects in SA?
• Who will finance PV power plants? If South African banks can't or won't, will Chinese manufacturers help?
• What is needed to improve the environment for PV project financing?
• How can Development Finance Institutions help?
• Will the South African PV market be financially appealing to investors in the years ahead?

 

 

Omar Vajeth - Absa Capital
Rentia van Tonder - IDC (Industrial Development Corporation)
Paul Eardley-Taylor - Standard Bank
Madalo Minofu - DBSA (Development Bank of Southern Africa)

15:25        Tea break

Session IV: What is the Impact of International Industry and Market Developments?

16:00       The Expert: How much cheaper will PV systems become in the coming years?

• What are recent technological developments and how rapidly are they going to contribute to cost reduction?
• Which technological innovations will be introduced into the market?
• What system prices can be expected over the coming 3 years, and what will be the achievable price of solar electricity in SA as a result of this?
• How will economies of scale and industrial improvements impact the feasibility of solar PV power plants?

Dr Velaphi Msimang
Chief Director: Hydrogen and Energy Sub-Programme, Department of Science and Technology

 

16:20       The Manufacturer: How can a leading manufacturer help with turnkey project delivery and financing?

• What turnkey solutions can be provided by leading market players?
• What kind of financial support and solutions can be provided?
• What have been the experiences and lessons learnt to date in the European and US markets?
• What does a 100 MW case study look like and how does it work out in practice?

 Mario Zen
Vice President Business Development, LDK Solar

 

16:40       The Expert Analyst: What is the outlook in terms of cost reduction in the value chain?

• What is the outlook for further cost reduction in the supply chain?
• How is the strong growth of the Chinese PV industry influencing module prices?
• What are the cost developments and trends in the PV supply chain? 
• How much can and will module and PV system prices decline in the coming years?
• What role will Asian manufacturers play in project development in South Africa?

Vishal Shah
Managing Director & Senior Analyst Alternative Energy, Deutsche Bank

 

17:00       The Debate: What does the solar energy future look like for South Africa?

• Where are the opportunities for market development? 
• What will South Africa's PV market look like in 2012 to 2015?
• Which services and projects have maximum potential in South Africa?
• When and where will grid parity happen in South Africa?
• What governmental policy would be desirable in the following years?
• Can solar PV meet the required growing power needs and become an alternative for nuclear and coal?
• What is the most profitable solar business model for South Africa?
• Who will need to take action? Or will the market find and explore the upcoming opportunities?

Vishal Shah - Deutsche Bank
Dr Velaphi Msimang - Department of Science and Technology
Mario Zen - LDK Solar

17:30       Informal drinks   

A networking moment for all participants. Meet the sponsors, enjoy a drink and a nibble, and discuss things further with other professionals in an informal atmosphere.