DNV GL, one the world largest independent energy consultancies, has strengthened its position in the solar power sector with the acquisition of GreenPowerMonitor, a leading provider of solar monitoring, control and asset management systems. The CEO’s of DNV GL- Energy, Ditlev Engel, and GreenPowerMonitor, Juan Carlos Arévalo, expect the solar market to triple and projects to become ever bigger, they tell Energy Post. With 150 solar experts, the new combination hopes to be ready for this stormy market growth.
“Global installed PV capacity is expected to triple over the next five years and by 2025 it should be the most economical form of electricity in many regions of the world”, says Engel, the new head of the Netherlands-based Energy division of DNV GL in Oslo, commenting on the acquisition of GreenPowerMonitor announced on Friday 8 July. He notes that costs of solar power keep going down: “We have seen prices of 4 to 5 cents per kWh in places like California and Mexico and even 3 cents per kWh in Dubai. That’s really significant.”
Arévalo notes that “there is only one way to achieve this kind of price: by expanding the scale of solar farms. Projects will get bigger and bigger. These low prices were achieved by relatively large projects of 100, 200 or 300 MW.”
For companies like DNV GL and GreenPowerMonitor these trends are favourable. The Spanish company operates highly advanced systems for monitoring and optimising large-scale solar power plants. It manages 5 GW in more than 2,000 facilities across the globe, making it “the leading independent monitoring provider”, according to Arévalo. The company from Barcelona employs 56 solar software experts.
DNV GL-Energy, which employs 2,500 energy experts, is active in some 3,500 solar projects across the world, but the company had not been active yet in monitoring systems for solar plants. Thus, the acquisition expands DNV GL’s scope in the sector while it increases GreenPowerMonitor’s reach. “By joining forces with GreenPowerMonitor, we will be able to better support the industry in its growth ambitions,” notes Engel.
According to Arévalo, the acquisition is “an important milestone and true recognition of our capabilities as a provider of scalable monitoring and control system software for the solar industry.”
For DNV GL, the acquisition also fits with their ambition to become a leading “data and knowledge hub” in the energy sector, says Engel. The company regards digitalisation as one of the most important trends transforming the energy sector. Advanced management of data will enable asset managers, investors and owners to optimize design, planning and operations and to achieve lower costs. That will be crucial to stay competitive. “Everyone hears about the prices that are being realised in places like Dubai, so everybody wants to have them. Policymakers will demand lower prices.”
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