太阳能的未来在哪里（节选）
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如果投资者仅仅靠公司名称决定股票买卖的话，那么SolarCity公司想必会非常悲催。最近，凡是与太阳能沾边的公司都如同烫手山芋一样，华尔街避之唯恐不及。中国廉价太阳能面板的冲击令First Solar等老牌公司不堪重负，而一些原本资金充裕的新创企业更是不幸夭折：Solyndra已经破产，Miasole近日被低价出售。然而SolarCity却依靠自己的经营模式蓬勃发展。这家公司购买太阳能面板，然后为分布在美国14个州的用户（大都为个人用户）安装面板。SolarCity面向家得宝连锁店（Home Depot）的客户进行推销，近日，它还与本田（Honda）达成协议，负责为后者的美国客户提供针对太阳能设备安装的融资服务。 最近，在Connected视频采访系列纸质版的第一部分，《财富》（Fortune）编辑亚当•拉辛斯基采访了SolarCity联合创始人兼首席执行官林登•莱夫。莱夫是土生土长的南非人，拥有丰富的创业经验，他和兄弟皮特一同创立了SolarCity。后者目前担任公司首席技术官和运营负责人。太空探索技术（SpaceX）和特斯拉汽车（Tesla Motors）的首席执行官艾龙•马斯科是他们的堂兄，目前任职SolarCity的董事长。 莱夫讨论了很多话题：SolarCity的与众不同之处、太阳能的未来，以及该公司迄今在华尔街获得的成功。（SolarCity去年12月成功上市。）他还兴致盎然地谈起自己是美国国家水下曲棍球队的会员，最近还奔赴密尔沃基参加了一次正式的比赛。两人的谈话记录如下，略有编辑。 亚当•拉辛斯基：最近这几年，与太阳能相关的公司和投资都颇为不顺，不过SolarCity的情况恰好相反。SolarCity的IPO很成功，公司目前发展良好，势头很猛。你能说说原因吗？ 林登•莱夫：要知道，遇到麻烦的主要是太阳能面板生产厂商。我们的商业模式截然不同，我们是一家能源公司。我们免费安装太阳能系统，然后以低于电网电费的价格向用户出售电能。一个是价格昂贵、会破坏环境的化石电能；另一个是清洁而便宜的太阳能，如果是你，你选哪个？ 亚当•拉辛斯基：从公司角度看，你是太阳能面板的购买者，而不是销售者。 林登•莱夫：没错。所以太阳能面板厂商经历的困境对我们来说只有好处，没有坏处。我们的成本大幅降低，能够为更多的用户提供低廉的太阳能电能。 亚当•拉辛斯基：给我们讲讲美国太阳能与化石能源之间的价差吧。说说你的看法。 林登•莱夫：各个州乃至每家电网的情况都不一样。不过总体而言，我们要比电网的价格低10%到15%。 亚当•拉辛斯基：也就是说，在SolarCity提供服务的所有地区，你们的电价都比电网电价平均便宜10%到15%。 林登•莱夫：完全正确。（财富中文网） 阅读英文全文请点击此处>>> 作者：项航 |
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. |
