太陽能的未來在哪里（節(jié)選）
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????如果投資者僅僅靠公司名稱決定股票買賣的話，那么SolarCity公司想必會非常悲催。最近，凡是與太陽能沾邊的公司都如同燙手山芋一樣，華爾街避之唯恐不及。中國廉價太陽能面板的沖擊令First Solar等老牌公司不堪重負，而一些原本資金充裕的新創(chuàng)企業(yè)更是不幸夭折：Solyndra已經(jīng)破產(chǎn)，Miasole近日被低價出售。然而SolarCity卻依靠自己的經(jīng)營模式蓬勃發(fā)展。這家公司購買太陽能面板，然后為分布在美國14個州的用戶（大都為個人用戶）安裝面板。SolarCity面向家得寶連鎖店（Home Depot）的客戶進行推銷，近日，它還與本田（Honda）達成協(xié)議，負責為后者的美國客戶提供針對太陽能設備安裝的融資服務。 ????最近，在Connected視頻采訪系列紙質版的第一部分，《財富》（Fortune）編輯亞當?拉辛斯基采訪了SolarCity聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官林登?萊夫。萊夫是土生土長的南非人，擁有豐富的創(chuàng)業(yè)經(jīng)驗，他和兄弟皮特一同創(chuàng)立了SolarCity。后者目前擔任公司首席技術官和運營負責人。太空探索技術（SpaceX）和特斯拉汽車（Tesla Motors）的首席執(zhí)行官艾龍?馬斯科是他們的堂兄，目前任職SolarCity的董事長。 ????萊夫討論了很多話題：SolarCity的與眾不同之處、太陽能的未來，以及該公司迄今在華爾街獲得的成功。（SolarCity去年12月成功上市。）他還興致盎然地談起自己是美國國家水下曲棍球隊的會員，最近還奔赴密爾沃基參加了一次正式的比賽。兩人的談話記錄如下，略有編輯。 ????亞當?拉辛斯基：最近這幾年，與太陽能相關的公司和投資都頗為不順，不過SolarCity的情況恰好相反。SolarCity的IPO很成功，公司目前發(fā)展良好，勢頭很猛。你能說說原因嗎？ ????林登?萊夫：要知道，遇到麻煩的主要是太陽能面板生產(chǎn)廠商。我們的商業(yè)模式截然不同，我們是一家能源公司。我們免費安裝太陽能系統(tǒng)，然后以低于電網(wǎng)電費的價格向用戶出售電能。一個是價格昂貴、會破壞環(huán)境的化石電能；另一個是清潔而便宜的太陽能，如果是你，你選哪個？ ????亞當?拉辛斯基：從公司角度看，你是太陽能面板的購買者，而不是銷售者。 ????林登?萊夫：沒錯。所以太陽能面板廠商經(jīng)歷的困境對我們來說只有好處，沒有壞處。我們的成本大幅降低，能夠為更多的用戶提供低廉的太陽能電能。 ????亞當?拉辛斯基：給我們講講美國太陽能與化石能源之間的價差吧。說說你的看法。 ????林登?萊夫：各個州乃至每家電網(wǎng)的情況都不一樣。不過總體而言，我們要比電網(wǎng)的價格低10%到15%。 ????亞當?拉辛斯基：也就是說，在SolarCity提供服務的所有地區(qū)，你們的電價都比電網(wǎng)電價平均便宜10%到15%。 ????林登?萊夫：完全正確。（財富中文網(wǎng)） ????閱讀英文全文請點擊此處>>> ????作者：項航 |
????Co-founder and CEO Lyndon Rive discusses what makes SolarCity different—and successful with Wall Street. ????If investors merely went by labels in making buy-sell decisions, SolarCity would have been doomed by its name. Companies involved in solar energy have been toxic on Wall Street of late. The culprit has been cheap solar panels from China that have whacked established manufacturers, like First Solar, and rendered stillborn well funded startups, including Solyndra (now bankrupt) and Miasole (recently sold on the cheap). SolarCity has thrived because it buyssolar panels and then installs them for its mostly residential customer base in 14 states. SolarCity markets to consumers from Home Depot stores and recently signed a deal to offer financing for installations to Honda's U.S. customers. ????In the first installment of a print version of his Connected video interview series, Fortune's Adam Lashinsky discusses SolarCity (SCTY) with its co-founder and CEO, Lyndon Rive. A native of South Africa and serial entrepreneur, Rive founded SolarCity with his brother Peter, who is chief technology officer and head of operations. Their cousin, SpaceX and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, is SolarCity's chairman. ?????Rive discussed, among other things, what makes SolarCity different, the future of solar power, and the company's success so far with Wall Street. (It went public in December.) He also explained his membership on the U.S. National Underwater Hockey Team, a real sport for which he recently traveled to Milwaukee for a competition. A lightly edited transcript of their conversation follows. ????Adam Lashinsky:So, in recent years, there's been something of a taint on companies and investments related to solar, and with SolarCity it's been just the opposite. You had a successful IPO. The company is doing well, at a high level. Why is that? ????Lyndon Rive:You know, most of the taint is around solar manufacturing. Our business model is totally different. We're an energy company. We install solar systems for free, and we sell the electricity at a lower rate than you can buy it from the utility. So given the option of paying more for dirty power or paying less for clean power, what would you take? ????Adam Lashinsky:And from a corporate perspective, you're a buyer, not a seller of solar panels. ????Lyndon Rive:Yes. So actually the pain that solar manufacturing has experienced, that has accrued 100% to our benefit. So it's reduced our cost and has made it possible for us to provide more homeowners with cheaper electricity. ????Adam Lashinsky:Talk a little bit about what the price differential is in the United States between solar power and dirty power. I like your expression. ????Lyndon Rive:So, it's customized by state and actually by utility. But when we do our pricing, we price at roughly 10 to 15% less than the utility price. ????Adam Lashinsky:10 to 15% on average across your service territories. ????Lyndon Rive:Exactly right. |
