‘2023 Solar Market Insight (PVMI)’, a global solar energy conference, will be held at EXCO in Daegu for two days from Wednesday, April 4th to Thursday, April 12th. This conference, held under the theme of ‘The future of solar power generation for RE13 implementation’, covers global solar power market trends, as well as △solar power policy △solar power finance △solar power technology △agricultural solar power △floating solar power △urban The latest information, including building-type solar power, will be revealed.
This year, PVMI will be attended by officials from global professional organizations such as Bloomberg, EIRP (Energy Innovation Reform Project), and ESMC (European Solar Manufacturing Consortium). In addition, officials from major institutions such as the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Hanwha Solutions, Hanwha Convergence, and Amore Pacific are scheduled to participate as speakers in each session.
Meeting Jae-Hak Jeong, Professor at Yeungnam University, who is in charge of the organizing committee of PVMI, which is emerging as a world-class solar energy conference beyond Korea, to hear about the achievements achieved through PVMI conferences, points to watch for PVMI 2023, trends in the solar energy industry, and the current status of agricultural solar energy. I saw.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, Director of Gwangju Jeonnam Headquarters: Please introduce the International Future Energy Conference.
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: It can be understood as a different nature from an academic conference where academic research is presented in general. Solar Market Insights (PVMI) deals with comprehensive stories such as business, market trends, and industries. Conferences of this nature do not exist worldwide.
PVMI has been in progress for over 10 years, and the solar market has changed very rapidly over the past 10 years. It can be said that it started as a conference that initially presented the direction of the domestic market along with the global trend for the solar power market.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, Director of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: I know that the International Green Energy Expo started first, but is it related to PVMI?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: The International Green Energy Expo started first, and PVMI was invited as an academic event related to it while exhibiting the latest technologies of companies. In other words, an exhibition to understand the market technology and a conference to view the current status of the global market and industry are held at the same time. It is a complementary role.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: I am in charge of the solar market insight organizing committee. What is the theme for this year and how did you come up with it?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: This year’s theme is ‘the future of solar power generation for RE100 realization’. RE100 is a really hot issue. Many companies are putting forward the banner of replacing 2050% of the electricity they use with renewable energy such as solar and wind power by 100.
Most global companies are participating. The RE100 is closely related to the corporate image. When a product is produced, used by consumers, and then becomes waste, the responsibility falls back to the company. If it is produced while emitting carbon dioxide, it is also not in line with corporate ethics.
Many efforts are being made to solve the problem of global warming. There is a movement to purchase more products of companies that take the lead in this. Sometimes consumers are reluctant to buy products from companies that do not join the movement. As a result, many domestic companies such as Samsung Electronics are also participating.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: The concepts of RE100 and carbon neutrality are being used interchangeably. How do you view it?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: Recently, instead of RE100, people started talking about carbon neutrality. However, the concept is not recognized in the international community. We need to produce 100% electricity from renewable energy, but we are trying to include hydrogen and nuclear power. It is about trying to approach difficult goals easily.
There is an RE100 organization in the international community. The organization continues to warn against this move. The reason why this year’s theme of PVMI was selected as ‘the future of solar power generation for realization of RE100’ is to follow the standards of the international community. I would like to emphasize that even if it is used in Korea, it is not as much as the international community.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, Director of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: PVMI is positioned as an international solar energy conference. Is it for the purpose of spreading the conventional wisdom of the international community to Korea as well?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: It is important to use electricity purely with renewable energy. Including nuclear energy and hydrogen energy will dilute the company’s original aspirations and will to prevent global warming. If that happens, I want to sound an alarm that domestic companies may not be well received by the international community.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: How much is the expected scale of PVMI participation this year?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: The scale is growing every year. PVMI attracts more than 300 visitors every year. It may seem small if you simply look at the numbers, but PVMI is not an academic conference. Because it is a conference that analyzes the market and shares information rather than presenting research papers, there are few professors and researchers among those who participate.
Most of them are entrepreneurs. Officials from world-class companies also attend. PVMI handles advanced and up-to-date information. It is well worth paying the participation fee because it covers very informative content that cannot be heard anywhere else. Because you know exactly how the market is going.
This year, more than 300 visitors are expected to attend. About 400 to 500 people are expected to attend the conference online and offline.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, Director of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: The faces of the speakers participating in PVMI are splendid. Please tell us about the program and participating speakers.
A. Professor Jeong Jae-hak : Bloomberg NEF, a global energy research company, is participating again this year. A large number of world-class scholars who mainly deal with the solar energy market participate. We invited speakers from about 10 countries to give presentations on the current status of the photovoltaic market. You will be able to look at the prospects of the international market and the domestic market.
Promising entrepreneurs were also invited to the urban and building solar energy sessions. In particular, issues related to agricultural solar energy are largely covered, and authorities in the field also participate to share market trends and research results. In addition, solar energy, which is being introduced into the mobility field, will also be introduced.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: This year, a new session called RE100 Implementation and Solar Energy Industry was established. Let’s explain this.
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: I made the RE100 session for the first time. After selecting the topic first, the demands of the companies followed. As more and more domestic companies are trying to realize RE100, they wanted to publicize their efforts to realize RE100.
So, a separate session was prepared to shed light on the efforts of companies. As such, companies are very interested in RE100. Many domestic companies have major sales channels overseas. The global trend, RE100, should be emphasized to help export.
Through this session, it is expected that various movements of domestic companies can be grasped. Since you can watch the conference online without coming to the site, I hope many people will participate. It would be nice to see what kind of activities Korean companies that have emerged as advanced countries are doing.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: It is noteworthy that PVMI is able to grasp the efforts of companies. Do you think the status of the conference has risen enough that companies want to participate first?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: 400 to 500 visitors attend to see the actual market. If you compare it to professional baseball, you visit the stadium to find good players. Visitors can be seen as a kind of scouts. It is very important to check whether companies are merely making declarations or actually putting them into practice.
PVMI will serve as a window to publicize the will and efforts of companies. For example, it serves as a place to inform the public that renewable energy electricity was used to make certain products. PVMI is proud to play the role of a medium to publicize domestic companies and products to the world, as well as promote the sincerity of companies looking at RE100.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: He has a reputation as an agricultural solar energy expert. Let’s introduce the core issues of the agricultural solar power market.
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak : 70% of Korea’s territory is mountainous. Compared to Europe and the United States, the share of agricultural land is significantly lower. The land must be used well. It is a situation where we have to pay attention to food security in limited farmland. Agricultural solar power is a way to generate electricity while maintaining food security.
On the other hand, Europe and the United States have planned sites for installing general solar power. There is a fairly large area available. tens of megawatts (MW). After such a large-scale general solar power complex was created, the disappearance of bees began to appear. After installing agricultural solar power, it is said that the bees have returned.
In this regard, research results are being made public. In the case of the United States and Europe, the history of introducing agricultural solar power is short, but the possibilities are endless. Agricultural solar is referred to in the United States as a dual use of land. Because of the strength of being eco-friendly, the government is expressing its will to introduce agricultural solar power.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: Research and discussions have been conducted in Korea, Japan, and Germany. It is very encouraging that he is gaining consensus in the US and Europe.
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: Yes. Solar power is said to be an eco-friendly energy, but in fact, when solar power is installed on a large scale, its own problems arise. destroy nature It is not only development activities that destroy nature.
If you install general solar power, it will be reduced to land where crops cannot grow. It is also natural destruction to keep changing microorganisms and disturbing the ecosystem. In order to eradicate these side effects, agricultural solar power is rapidly emerging.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: How can ‘rural solar power’, which mainly produces electricity without farming on open ground, be utilized? Should this model go away?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: I think the rural solar model should be avoided in the future. Land is private property and cannot be restricted. However, I believe that transforming farmland into general land for solar energy business should be avoided now. Fields that have been transformed into general land are never restored.
As mentioned earlier, Korea has limited agricultural land. Food security may be at stake. About 1.5% of agricultural land is lost each year. Therefore, I think the direction to pursue agricultural solar power is correct. If you are a farmer, you should be able to introduce agricultural solar power. Relevant laws must be passed.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: Every year, PVMI issues regarding legislation related to agricultural solar power are being dealt with. Still, it’s not up to speed. what is the reason.
A. Professor Jeong Jae-hak: There is a Carbon Neutrality Committee within the Democratic Party. It has about 20 Members of Parliament. Currently, five cases related to agricultural solar power have been proposed as a legislative initiative. All five bills allow farming-type solar power only for self-cultivated farmers. Then, qualifications are limited to those who farm on their own land.
If you go to rural areas, you can see that there are far more rented farmers than self-cultivated farmers. There is bound to be resistance from tenant farmers. I have appealed to several Members of Parliament on this issue. Most of the tenant farmers who cultivate large fields are against it. A solution must be found to address these issues and how to coordinate the problems between land owners and tenant farmers.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: I understand that PVMI is presenting the ‘Agricultural Photovoltaic Demonstration Trend’. I want to hear about the main points.
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: The so-called agricultural solar power expansion bill is ripe. If you cross a certain threshold, you will pass. When introduced, solar power facilities must be built on farmland. In the end, companies have to build it, but it needs to be built so that it can endure for 20 years. This is because it is the responsibility of the farmers to take care of the back.
It is difficult to manage and supervise companies. In the case of Japan and Germany, some kind of guideline has been prepared. This is about what things to keep in mind and keep in mind when installing solar power facilities on farmland. The content I will present is in line with the content explained previously. Our country also needs to prepare guidelines before laws are passed.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: Are the research and tasks related to the standardization of agricultural solar power going well?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: The assignment is over. There are some misunderstandings about the results. Some people misunderstand the task of standardization as a form of ‘printing’ like a so-called biscuit. Agricultural solar power can never do that. The nature and form of paddy fields, fields, and land are diverse. Some are sloping, some are flat, some are filled with water.
In particular, Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gangwon-do regions have many sloped fields. Also, each crop has different characteristics. In addition, there are cases in which a structure needs to be erected in a situation where crops are already planted. Recommendations are needed for different situations. Standardization made by Yeungnam University is a standard plan based on minimum installation method, installation optimization, and crop.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: Solar market insight has been attracting attention from many experts for over 10 years. What are some of the achievements you have gained from the conference so far?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: Even when we first started solar market insight, we started at the level of developing countries with insufficient technology, knowledge, and systems. In the past 10 years, Korea’s industry has developed remarkably. Now, the status has changed. The world expects Korea to lead by example in terms of industry.
However, public officials and corporate officials who have worked in the field for a long time may not feel the change. You can feel the change and status of Korea through PVMI. In addition, many markets and industries were diagnosed, and there were efforts to reflect them in policies. I’d say the result is RE100. The fact that Korean companies carry out RE100 means that they are companies of advanced countries.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: Seok-Yeol Yoon, is there anything you would like to suggest for the government’s energy policy establishment?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-hak: There is a collection of pledges made when the Yoon Seok-yeol government was launched. It is written in the pledge book that it will restart nuclear power plants that have been suspended and serve as an anchor for new and renewable energy in the international community. Wind power has been added. As wind power is added and hydrogen is highlighted, the solar power part is somewhat marginalized.
President Yoon Seok-yeol is meeting with US President Biden and strengthening economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia. You seem to have realized the importance of renewable energy. Again, government departments are trying to pay attention to solar power. The rubbery part.
I hope that Korea will promote policies so that it can cooperate with Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United States and play a role as an export partner. Land is scarce in the country. I hope it will be promoted centering on agricultural solar power. Building-type solar power and floating solar power should also be pushed forward with a sense of speed.
Middle Eastern countries are carrying out large-scale projects with domestic companies. You will need a lot of sunlight in that area. I hope that such aspects are considered and related policies are discovered. Please serve as a bridgehead for export.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, Gwangju Jeonnam Headquarters: How do you want to grow PVMI in the future?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: PVMI has become an international conference recognized by the international community. Everyone in Asia is aware of it, and PVMI is also known in the Middle East, Israel, and Europe. There are few conferences in the world that offer ‘advanced market intelligence’.
We will make PVMI a conference that provides advanced information centered on the market. We will do our best to establish it as a unique conference.
Q. Yoo Hyeong-dong, head of Gwangju and Jeonnam Headquarters: Research on farming-type solar power continues. Will related research be continued in the future?
A. Professor Jeong Jae-Hak: Yes. The domestic agricultural solar power industry is in its infancy. Farmers are leaving the countryside. The age group of those who actually own farmland is very high. They have lost their will to farm. As a result, young tenant farmers are farming in rural areas.
Even so, a small number of tenant farmers are responsible for all farming in one village. The introduction of agricultural solar power can increase the real income of farm households. The children of farmers can go back to rural areas, or a future in which young people migrate to rural areas is also being envisioned. The key will be agricultural solar power. When young people come to rural areas, rural areas can be revived. I will do my part to establish itself as an industry that saves the region.
Meanwhile, the global solar power conference ‘2023 Solar Power Market Insight (PVMI)’ will be held for two days from Wednesday, April 4th to Thursday, April 12th, in rooms 13 and 325 of Daegu EXCO (CEO Lee Sang-gil). It will be held simultaneously with events such as the 323th International Green Energy Expo, the 20rd Hydrogen Market Insight (H3MI), the 2 Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Forum, and AgriVoltaics 2023.
This year’s PVMI event will be held as an online-offline hybrid conference, and you can register at a 4% discount compared to on-site registration until April 5th, the pre-registration period. Special discount prices are applied to companies participating in the 25th International Green Energy Expo. For related matters, you can contact the secretariat.