Leadership Profile: Tom Werner (Part 12)

To conclude our interview, I asked Tom what role he sees SunPower playing in the alternative energy marketplace, and the impact the company may have in alleviating some of the challenges we face with potential energy shortages.

SM: Let me ask you the big question now. What role do you see SunPower playing in the future of alternative energy, and can you move the needle on this looming energy crisis? TW: As the industry grows rapidly, it will likely follow other industries. There will be a handful of very big companies, and there will also be one or two thought leader companies.

The role of SunPower is that we are going to take a unique approach. We are the only ones who have focused on the customer, the customer experience, and the channel to the customer. We believe we are the thought leaders in the industry, and we are scaling rapidly and we believe we will be one of the big players as this industry goes mainstream.

As you look at solar, it is economic in many regions of the world; in Germany, Japan, California, you can buy a solar system today and it makes positive economic sense for you in these significant markets. In the next 5 years as we lower costs, more markets become economic, and the industry becomes economic.

The way you can look at the impact of solar energy or solar electricity on the power industry is really in terms of added capacity. When we look out ten years from now, solar could be 20% of the incremental capacity added of electricity production. It could have a huge impact, and in many markets it is economical and is having an impact today. We look at SunPower as being the thought leader and continuing with our aggressive manufacturing stance so we are one of the scale leaders.

SM: Are there any road blocks to scaling? TW: If there is a strain or a bottleneck on growth today it is the availability of purified silicon which in the industry is called polysilicon. That requires a large capital investment that takes two or so years to be brought online. There is quite a bit of capacity being added which is coming online late this year and next year, so that bottleneck becomes relieved in a few years.

Today, however, we are constrained by the availability of polysilicon. It is not easy to add thousands of people and hundreds of millions of dollars of capital, so execution of the core capital expansion is also a challenge.

SM: It has been fascinating talking with you today, thank you for taking the time. TW: I always love to talk about the solar market. It is certainly one of the fastest growing in the world. We have the added benefit that we are making a difference in the environment, so it is a fun place to be.

SM: A double bottomline business! Congratulations, Tom, and all the best!

(Part 11)
(Part 10)
(Part 9)
(Part 8)
(Part 7)
(Part 6)
(Part 5)
(Part 4)
(Part 3)
(Part 2)
(Part 1)

This segment is part 12 in the series : Leadership Profile: Tom Werner
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