The German photovoltaic industry knew bad news was on the way, and it could have been worse. Last week, Germany’s Environment Ministry recommended a shift in subsidies from solar energy installations to offshore wind farms. The solar sector breathed a collective sigh of relief because the subsidy could have easily been significantly cut or completely eliminated. Nevertheless outraged, the German Solar Industry Association issued a statement complaining that its members were in “a sensitive phase of development and [face] harsh competition with Asia.”
Happy New Year for Solar? Written By: Eben Esterhuizen 2008-01-09 22:52:43 Photo:niznoz, Creative Commons, Flickr
Happy new year! May the good fortune bore you in 2008.
How to Turn The Polysilicon Supply Problem Into a Profitable Solution (Part 1) Written By: Eben Esterhuizen 2007-10-15 00:28:12 Photo:bibliogrrl, Creative Commons, Flickr
It looks like the glass is always half full at chip equipment giant Applied Materials (AMAT - Last trade $21.04). The company's Chief Technology Officer, Winfried Hoffmann, said in a recent Reuters interview that he expects tight supplies of polysilicon, a key component in solar cell production, to ease from this year. He projects that the market for solar power will grow by 25%-30% over the next 3-5 years due to the lower costs associated with expanded polysilicon supplies.
How to Turn the Polysilicon Supply Problem Into a Profitable Solution (Part 2) Written By: Eben Esterhuizen 2007-10-22 22:54:26 As an alcoholic, the first step to recovery is to admit that you are an alcoholic. The same principle applies to Wall Street banks in the aftermath of the recent credit crunch: the first step to recovery is to disclose the size of losses during the recent market turmoil. At the start of October, several banks disclosed their losses, with the Citigroup CFO saying that they were returning to a “normal earnings environment”. These confessions sparked a rally in global stock markets as investors decided that Wall Street banks were on their way to recovery. But we, at The Panelist, are not popping the champagne just yet – it seems likely that solar companies will suffer from a nasty hangover when the dust settles.
