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Paula Mints

Office:
Palo Alto, CA
Phone:
+1.650.849.1142
Contact:

Ms. Mints is a Director in the Energy practice, and widely recognized as an industry expert on photovoltaic (PV) technologies and markets. She provides clients with objective, comprehensive PV industry analysis based on extensive primary research, including her forward-looking understanding of market and technology trends.

Ms. Mints’ strong grounding in primary research qualifies her to provide insight into the dynamic solar industry and its emerging trends. She has ten years of experience providing research products and insight about the photovoltaic industry.

She also serves as primary author and executive editor of the Navigant Solar Outlook bi-monthly market newsletter. Ms. Mints has published articles in Renewable Energy World and is a contributing columnist for Renewable Energy Focus.

Articles by Paula Mints

Who's on First for the PV Solar Industry?

This article by Navigant's Paula Mints in Photovoltaics World looks at the top 10 manufacturers in the photovoltaics (PV) industry from 2004 through 2009 and considers what this says about the...

 Article / White Paper
When It's Cheaper to Buy Than Manufacture ... What Do You Do?

Navigant's Paula Mints discusses the economics of outsourcing vs. in-house manufacturing in the photovoltaic industry in this article in Photovoltaics World.

 Article / White Paper
Solar and the Law of Unintended Consequences

In this September 2011 article published in ElectroIQ, lead analyst for Navigant’s Solar Services Program takes a look at some pertinent unintended consequences in the solar industry.

 Article
Solyndra shuts down, and woe is US

On August 31, 2011 Solyndra announced that effective immediately the company will suspend manufacturing and will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. With the news of a publically funded solar company failing, Navigant principal analyst Paula Mints is concerned that PV manufacturing facts will be overshadowed.

 Article
PV Technology Pricing: Why It's a Zero-Sum Game

In a November 2011 article published by ElectroIQ, Paula Mints discusses the variables that influence the price of PV technology, and why it’s difficult to ferret out the true current average price of a module.

 Article / White Paper
PV Market Analysis: Mid-2011 Pause for Reflection -- Just Don't Pause for Long

In this article published in August 2011 by Renewable Energy World Magazine, Navigant’s Paula Mints provides a mid-year snapshot of the PV industry.

 Article / White Paper
Solar PV's zeitgeist: A plea for pugilism

In a February 2011 article published on PennEnergy.com, Navigant’s Paula Mints analyses the photovoltaic industry over the past 35 years. Mints discusses how the PV industry stands in comparison to conventional energy, other renewable technologies, the energy buying public’s attention span, and the high upfront capital cost to install a solar system (of any size), often at painfully low margins.

 Article
Five PV History Lessons; EPIA Takeaways

In a November 2010 article for Photovoltaics World, Navigant’s Paula Mints takes a look at lessons we can learn from PV’s history so far. It's been a long and winding road for all photovoltaic technologies, from kilowatt annual demand in the 1970s to multi-gigawatt annual demand in 2010. Demand in 2010 over 2009 is expected to surge >100% to ~16GWs, and will represent 40% of total industry cumulative demand. With over 80% of industry cumulative volume installed between2005-2010, it may seem expedient to ignore previous PV industry history.

 Article
Exciting week at Intersolar North America, and a lecture

Navigant’s Paula Mints recaps this years’ InterSolar North America Conference and provides insight to the global solar technology suppliers (including China’s status as the leading manufacturer of solar technology globally).

 Article / White Paper
PV’S New Chapter, In Which It Returns to its DG Roots

In an April 2012 article in RenewableEnergyWorld.com, Navigant’s Paula Mints discusses some of the significant changes in the way the PV industry currently sells and deploys its technology.

 Article / White Paper
Ten Solar Resolutions for the New Year

In this January 2012 article published in ElectroIQ, Navigant’s Paula Mints reflects on the ups and downs of the solar industry in 2011.

 Article
2012 PV Forecast: Industry Value Chain Blues

In this February 2012 article published by RenewableEnergyWorld.com, Navigant’s Paula Mints, analyzes the difficult challenges photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers must overcome this year.

 Article / White Paper
Reality Check: The Changing World of PV Manufacturing

Navigant Director, Paula Mints, discusses the changing world of PV manufacturing in an October 2011 article published by ElectroIQ.com.

 Article
Intersolar EU: Updating solar trends across Europe

Navigant’s Paula Mints, analyzes the emerging European energy industry trends resulting from the more than 2,200 companies at Intersolar Munich, the original solar trade show.

 Article / White Paper
FSLR, Sustainable Markets, and a Word about the Solar Bubble

In this December 2011 article published by ElectroIQ, Navigant’s Paula Mints discusses FSLR, sustainable markets and the solar bubble.

 Article / White Paper
Selling Solar Futures: The Commodity vs. Product Debate

In a May 2011 article published in Photovoltaics World, Navigant Director Paula Mints addresses the sale of solar futures and the age-old commodity vs. product debate.

 Link
Why The U.S. Is Lagging In Global PV -- And How To Change It

This article by Navigant's Paula Mints in Photovoltaics World provides a history of regional photovoltaic (PV) industry supply from 1998 through 2008 and considers whether the U.S. can improve its...

 Article / White Paper
Solar Outlook Newsletter

In this sampling of Navigant’s bi-monthly Solar Outlook newsletter, Lead Analyst Paula Mints provides insights and highlights from the 2nd Utility Scale PV Plant Optimization conference, hosted by PV Insider.

 Newsletter
Solar and the Law of Unintended Consequences

Navigant’s Paula Mints outlines the unintended consequences feed-in tariff incentives in the PV market in her September 7, 2011 article published on PhotovoltaicsWorld.com.

 Article
Price, Technology, and the Illusion of Control

As feed-in-tariff rates fall and manufacturers continue to add capacity while announcing significant price decreases, margins will suffer. Navigant’s Paula Mints explains how the PV industry is reacting to current market state and provides an outlook for the future of solar.

 Article / White Paper
The 12-Step Solar Program: Toward an Incentive-less Future

In this article, Navigant’s Paula Mints provides an insightful analysis on the constant upward trend for solar and approaches the topic of an incentive-less future for the solar industry.

 Article / White Paper
The Twelve Days of Solar Christmas

In her December 2010 article published in Photovoltaics World, Navigant’s Paula Mints takes a festive look at Solar’s incentive-less future. The un-incentivized future approaches, and it is time to call off the hunt for the next big incentive -- because if the solar industry (all technologies) does not, it is surely doomed. Well, maybe doomed is too harsh, disappointed is better. Along with disappointed add chronically over capacity and consistently margin constrained.

 Article
The Stratification of the Grid-Connected Solar Industry

In an April 2011 article for PennEnergy, Navigant’s Paula Mints discusses the development of today’s grid-connected solar industry – from its initial slow growth to sudden popularity.

 Article
Capacity, prices, and all that solar jazz

In a March 2011 article in Photovoltaics World, Navigant’s Paula Mints analyses the growth and change in photovoltaic technologies. Despite anxiety over future FiT degressions, shipments in 2010 grew at 120% over 2009, from 7.9GWp to 17.4GWp. Europe consumed 82% of all shipped technology, for 14.2GWp.

 Article / White Paper
Stop the Solar Industry’s Self-Destruction Over Grid Parity

In this February 2012 article published by ElectroIQ.com, Navigant’s Paula Mints analyzes grid parity’s impact on the solar industry.

 Article / White Paper
Surviving Our Solar Winter of Discontent

In this February 2012 feature article published by ElectroIQ, Navigant Director Paula Mints reviews the turbulent past of the solar industry and discusses what 2012 holds.

 Article / White Paper
FiTs and the Future of European PV Markets

In this March 2012 article published by RenewableEnergyWorld.com, Navigant’s Paula Mints analyzes discussions from the recent EPIA Market Workshop in Brussels regarding the major changes to feed-in-tariffs of several key European markets.

 Article / White Paper
Jobs Highlighted at Solaria’s Earth Day Celebration

Navigant’s Paula Mints recaps Solaria’s Earth Day celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony at its new facility in Fremont, CA. The state’s Lieutenant Governor, Gavin Newsom spoke about the importance of adding jobs to California and the U.S., and the role that Solaria is playing towards this important goal.

 Article / White Paper
Making the Solar Industry Healthy for Everyone

While U.S. and Chinese solar firms square off, Paula Mints points to four things that need to happen to get everyone's focus back on the real prize: a level playing field against other energy sources.

 Article / White Paper
Solar Energy in the Land of the Debt Ceiling and Solar States

Navigant’s Paula Mints discusses solar energy, including U.S. subsidies, the debt ceiling, and 2011 buying/installations in an interview at Intersolar North America.

 Video
Harsh Realities at the Solar Praxis Solar Industry Summit

Navigant Energy Director Paula Mints recaps the May 12-13, 2011 Solar Praxis UK conference held in London. Attendees got a harsh dose of reality during the opening sessions. The regal Grand Connaught Rooms in London was well attended at over 200 people, all looking for ways to turn recent industry bad news into future opportunities.

 Link

Education

  • BS, San Jose State University
  • MBA, San Jose State University

Industry Specialization

  • Energy

Functional Expertise

  • Renewables / New Energy
  • Asset Management