INTERVIEW-Solar consolidation could happen this year-banker

* Some publicly-traded solar companies could consolidate as soon as this year

* Conglomerates will start to acquire green technologies they can commercialize

* IPO activity in the green energy sector will pick up sooner rather than later

By Nichola Groom

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) - Solar power companies could begin to consolidate as early as this year as small and mid-sized players in need of capital get snapped up by bigger rivals, the head of the green energy practice at Jefferies & Co said on Wednesday.

"You could see a couple of the public solar companies consolidate," Jeff Lipton, a managing director with the investment bank said in an interview at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California.

"The smaller an mid-sized European and Chinese companies that are not well-capitalized, that need capital to grow ... they are not going to have much choice, but to consolidate," Lipton said.

Some deals may happen this year, although Lipton said he expected to see "a fair amount of activity" in solar deal- making in 12 to 24 months. Companies focused on solar installation and project development are likely targets for either solar companies themselves or for financial investors, Lipton said.

Green energy investing is a bright spot on Wall Street at the moment thanks to the sector's super-charged growth potential, Lipton said.