Germany Solar Feed in Tariff may See 2% Cut each month 2012, System Cap at 3 kilowatts due to 7.5 GW 2011

16 Jan, 2012
Germany,Solar Energy

Germany has seen the biggest increase in solar installations in the history of solar energy with 3 GW in the month of December 2011 alone. For perspective this is almost equal to the installed capacity of the Chinese solar energy which has almost 6-7 times as much electricity generating capacity . The returns are still high in 2012 with existing FIT , so the German government may have to plan additional cuts with plans of

a) cut of 2% FIT every month in 2012 to slow down the installations and bring down the solar system IRR

b) a cap on feed in tariffs to solar systems of 3 kilowatts only .This will prevent larger solar installations and building of large solar farms

Goldwind Wins 13 Wind Contracts in America as Chinese Extend Global Leadership, More Trouble for Vestas, GE

16 Jan, 2012
China,Wind Energy

Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology Co (Goldwind) is the 2nd biggest Chinese wind turbine producer and amongst the top 5 wind turbine companies in the world. Goldwind stock has been punished alongwith other Chinese wind turbine stocks as a fierce price war in the Chinese market has led to nosediving margins and revenues. There is massive overcapacity in the Chinese wind market as there are around 100 odd producers of wind turbines with 7 out of the 15 top global wind turbine makers. Chinese Government policies have been changed to weed out the smaller inefficient wind turbine makers, however the competition still remains quite high just like the Solar Panel Industry.

How Massive 1000 Megawatt Solar Energy Farms in Chinese Deserts will Boost 2012 Demand

16 Jan, 2012
China,Solar Panels

China add the most electricity capacity annually in the world at around 100 GW and its total electricity generation capacity is second only to the USA which it will surpass in the next few years. China is highly dependent on thermal power for its energy needs which is becoming scarce and expensive by the day. Not to speak of the big disadvantages of coal as a fuel which causes thousands of deaths each year. Solar Energy has now reached grid parity in many parts of the world thanks to the low cost cheap solar panels being made by Chinese solar panel producers. With many countries now thinking of putting an anti dumping duty on Chiense solar modules, the government is looking to boost domestic demand . Chinese solar panel Tier 1 players like LDK, Suntech, Trina and Yingli besides some others are the biggest beneficiaries of this new solar policy from China.

Why Solar Inverter Top Dog SMA Solar is Losing Marketshare, Facing Uncertain 2012

16 Jan, 2012
Solar Inverters

SMA Solar ,the biggest German Solar Energy company is now losing marketshare to the new solar inverter manufacturers in USA and China. Note SMA Solar held a dominating 40% solar inverter global marketshare in 2010 compared to the solar panel manufacturers none of which has managed more than a 10% marketshare . SMA Solar however is now feeling the heat of the competition as solar energy prices continue to go down steadily. The pressure on the solar inverter companies has been increasing as solar inverter prices as a percentage of the total solar system cost has risen from 5% to almost 10% now as solar panel prices have come down much more rapidly.

How Chinese Module Makers will use the Taiwanese Cell Producers to Circumvent US Anti-Dumping Policy

14 Jan, 2012
China,Solar Energy

The USA and China are locked in a bitter tiff over solar panel imports from China. Note Solarworld filed a petition with the ITC which in all probability will put an anti-dumping duty on Chinese solar modules. Other countries whose solar panel producers have been swamped by the super cheap Solar Panel imports too are thinking of special custom duties. However the big Tier 1 Chinese solar panel makers are not sitting idle . They have already come out with strategies to circumvent the US Solar Panel Duties if they are imposed .

China’s Hot Money Outflows , Reduction in Forex Reserves May Indicate Coming Slowdown

14 Jan, 2012
China

China has reported the first decrease in its forex reserves in a qtr since the 1998 crisis. The Chinese Foreign Exchange Reserves which are humongous at over $4 trillion has shown a $100 billion decrease in Nov and Dec 2012 .While the sharp decrease in the Euro may account for some change , there is also anecdotal evidence that the hot money is flowing out of China . Note earlier Hot Money was pouring into China given the potential of yuan appreciation but with the potential of a Chinese Hard Landing ,the opposite may be happening . China has a distorted economy heavily dependent on exports and investment for growth . However changed macro economic conditions make this model unsustainable . How China manages to transition out of this investment export fueled condition is an open question . That they must is in no doubt nor the fact that China’s 10% GDP growth days are definitely over.

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