US solar industry

Production Scale (Not Cheap Labour) Gives China Solar Advantage

Originally published on the US Department of Energy Website Production scale, not lower labor costs, drives China’s current advantage in manufacturing photovoltaic (PV) solar energy systems, according to a new report released on September 5 by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology … [continued]

Solar Trade Dispute: Jigar Shah Response

Last week, I posted letters from Jigar Shah (President of Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy) and a response from Hari Chandra Polavarapu (Managing Director of Solar/Cleantech Research at AURIGA USA LLC). As an update, here’s a response to Hari from Jigar: I want to thank Hari Chandra Polavarapu, the Managing Director of Solar/Cleantech … [continued]

Going Bust Amid a Boom: US Solar Installations Soar as Growing Businesses Fall by the…

2011 US solar power installations soared to a record, growing 140% year-over-year in Q3, and even greater gains are expected in Q4. Yet the US solar power industry, along with its counterparts in Germany and China, is in turmoil as supply-demand imbalances driven by slanted government policies on trade, investment, foreign exchange and clean energy production and usage push an increasing number of growing businesses to, and beyond the brink of financial solvency.