Solar Panel Manufacturers: A Vanishing Breed

[Jason]

Since the surge of Chinese solar panels, a number of solar companies have gone belly up. A recent report suggests that another 180 solar panel manufacturers will shut down or be acquired by 2015. The report examined more than 300 international solar panel makers to discern how likely they are to survive. The report also listed eight trends in the solar industry in the next three years that you will want to know about.

More...

[kieranmullen]

If one gets what they pay for (which is not often the case from China) Why worry?

Since the surge of Chinese solar panels, a number of solar companies have gone belly up. A recent report suggests that another 180 solar panel manufacturers will shut down or be acquired by 2015. The report examined more than 300 international solar panel makers to discern how likely they are to survive. The report also listed eight trends in the solar industry in the next three years that you will want to know about.

More...

[Sunking]

If one gets what they pay for (which is not often the case from China) Why worry?

Well here is the deal, at least in the USA. Chinese panels were dirt cheap here in the USA. That is what is driving the large installation numbers here. People were buying China panels. Well now the US Government put huge tariffs on Chinese panels trying to prop up US manufactures. But guess what? US made panels are to expensive, the market will collapse and put hundreds if not thousands of installers and distributors out of work and bankrupt.

[kieranmullen]

I have business contacts in China and I am looking at importing items for resale, moved into a new warehouse a few months ago. I was wondering if the tarrif would apply to 50 or so panels for my own use in the container coming over.

When do these tarrifs take affect. As I mentioned before elsewhere I live abotu 3 miles away from Solarworld but not too many companies quoted them and when they did it was a premium option even though they could just drive to the dock and pick them up versus panels made from another part in the USA. Why???
Like the Oregon panels are so much better?

Something is wrong with your producy if the Chinese panel quality is better than yours. Granted they copy everything but their R&D and quality control is garbage on so many things.

Well here is the deal, at least in the USA. Chinese panels were dirt cheap here in the USA. That is what is driving the large installation numbers here. People were buying China panels. Well now the US Government put huge tariffs on Chinese panels trying to prop up US manufactures. But guess what? US made panels are to expensive, the market will collapse and put hundreds if not thousands of installers and distributors out of work and bankrupt.

[Sunking]

Something is wrong with your product if the Chinese panel quality is better than yours. Granted they copy everything but their R&D and quality control is garbage on so many things.

In thi scase it is not about quality, it is about price. There is only 1-way for solar to be able to compete with commercial power. it has to be less expensive and pay for itself in 3 to 8 years.

The only way that can possible happen is huge entitlement programs from governments. Chinese government heavily subsidize the the solar manufacture industry. Couple that with cheap labor, no taxes, or expensive environmental policy and the USA cannot compete. That is the first link in the chain. Second critical link here in the US Fed 30% tax credit, Net Metring Laws, and local incentives mandated by state governments. That is what is driving the US market, free money. Take away any link in the chain, and the whole thing collapses. US slapped huge tarrifs on Chinese panels so there is no longer cheap panels. No cheap panels, no sales. Industry goes bust. It is a False Market. If you got in around 2005 or 2006 when stock prices were cheap, and sold out in 2008 you made 10 times or more than what you invested. If you got in after 2008 you are the sucker who made all those rich before you. You simply got in to late. Think of all them suckers who bought into FSLR at $300/share in 2008. Today FSLR goes for $24. Even worse is Evergreen Solar in 2008 sold for roughly $100/share, today $0.00.

Only reason you can find cheap US or Canada panels today is because their warehouses are full of inventory, and their production lines shut down. They are trying to liquidate and then call it quits.

[kieranmullen]

So like the Chinese the USA subsidizes its panels too...

Second critical link here in the US Fed 30% tax credit, Net Metring Laws, and local incentives mandated by state governments.

[inetdog]

So like the Chinese the USA subsidizes its panels too...

There is a big difference between subsidizing the purchase of panels which creates an equal market for panels from all sources and subsidizing the manufacture or sale of the panels, which benefits a particular group of manufacturers. From the immediate consumer point of view it does not make a big difference, but the larger scale economic effects are very different.

[kieranmullen]

Yes the CEO's of Solyndra did quite well for themselves.

There is a big difference between subsidizing the purchase of panels which creates an equal market for panels from all sources and subsidizing the manufacture or sale of the panels, which benefits a particular group of manufacturers. From the immediate consumer point of view it does not make a big difference, but the larger scale economic effects are very different.

[bonaire]

The difference here is that in the USA, the (allegedly) corrupt leaders of Solyndra are allowed to live versus what Chinese leaders would have done to them.

We do need to do better with DoE funds and audit the companies operations much closer than has been done. Right now, the government gives money and then really does poor oversight.

[fiji90]

Chinese panels not of great quality

[inetdog]

Chinese panels not of great quality

Some US panels not of great quality too.

[russ]

Funny part about Solyndra was that the net was well aware the technology was a dog long before Uncle Sam gave them all that money.

[kittemple]

Panel Quality

Chinese panels not of great quality

Well - let's apply some mathematics to that comment.

http://www.enfsolar.com/pv/panel - There are 15,000 individual panels listed here. Now, click to Model view and you will see that 10,000 of the 15,000 panels are Chinese. That's to be expected.

However, now click on the UL filter - which will narrow down to just those panels that have tested UL quality certification. The result is 1,440 out of 2,182 (66%) of UL certified panels being Chinese.

So, some panels are poor quality - but there are plenty of good ones out there!

[bonaire]

Funny part about Solyndra was that the net was well aware the technology was a dog long before Uncle Sam gave them all that money.

The other funny and sad thing here in the USA is that any money wasted away by deals that the agencies do with private firms has no consequences for those who offered the money out. The DoE has nobody to blame for Solyndra - everyone is hidden behind the veil of the deal.

We need real business people in Washington running budgetary processes. Not Dr. Chu and other academics and their meek view that "everything is going to work out just fine". It isn't. You need some two-fisted management types in there who need market proof that something is viable. Sunking needs to run DoE. (really, someone like that would help a lot) The meek shall inherit the earth - but with a lot off bills to pay it off...

I've tried to contact congressmen and DoE on one other abuse we see in the electric car environment. The DoE's grants to the SPX company and their misuse and mishandling of funds. Nobody really cares once the "cat is out of the bag" and the deal is done. No claw-backs or jail time. Flushing away taxpayer money isn't right. If DoE loses $1B in a bad deal, no big whoop. But someone robs a convenience store for $100 and that's 5-years in jail at $40K a year taxpayer costs.

Oh - and that's childs' play compared to DoD deals

How's about some jail-time for bad administrating by government officials? Going over the actual fiscal cliff would have been the best thing for this country. A short sharp shock to the system and a reset with some actual reigning in of costs.