PES is proud to welcome Professor Patrick Gougeon, Director of the Research Centre for Energy Management and UK Director of ESCP Europe Business School. In this illuminating interview, he discusses the Chinese influence, Europe’s booming market, and much more.
PES: With PV farms ‘springing up’ across the world, do you have any concerns that proper systems are in place (infrastructure, safety) to best use this relatively new technology?
Professor Patrick Gougeon: Due to the generosity of subsidies and feed-in tariffs, many projects have been developed, and inefficiencies observed – with striking examples such as in France where farm facilities have been built for the sole reason that it would allow the development of roof top solar panels and so take advantage of subsidies. Today there is certainly the need for a break to reconsider that policy, and it seems to be the case in most European countries. Governments now realise that there is probably better value for money to be obtained when pursuing a clean energy programme.
PES: Can the EU renewables market remain competitive with countries like China investing heavily in PV and wind energy manufacturing?
PG: It is not an issue just for renewables, China is a threat to all industries. Just few specific points on this issue:
There are too many small players, and national energy leaders will have to play a role to contribute to the emergence of larger entities to take advantage of economies of scale and compete on the world market.
Concentration is also necessary to boost research expenditures in a domain where technologies available today are still in their early stage. Only large companies, possibly joint ventures involving several companies, can take the risk and raise the necessary funds under reasonable conditions.
The fact that each European country tends to follow its own home made policy, designed to favour local industries and meet local political will, can be an obstacle to a natural, market-driven concentration trend. In this context a voluntary European policy sponsoring collaborative regional projects would be welcome.
PES: Do certain EU countries remain too averse to renewables to make them a realistic alternative?
