Solar Industry Facing “Gross Oversupply”

(Blog Post) What happens to an industry when the price of a core component suddenly drops, the credit crisis hits, countries get ready to cut important subsidies, and a new type of technology is disrupting the established players? Well, for the traditional solar industry that’s what happened in 2009. As a result, 2010 will be a year of “gross oversupply” of solar modules and significant “consolidation” according to a report from Pike Research. In other words ... Full Story »

Posted by Jon Mitchell
Tags Help
Stats Help
# Tweets: 16 (as of 2010-06-08)
Editorial Help
Posted by: Posted by Jon Mitchell - Jun 8, 2010 - 11:16 AM PDT
Content Type: Blog Post
Edit Lock: This story can be edited
Edited by: Fabrice Florin - Jun 9, 2010 - 10:20 AM PDT
Jon Mitchell
3.7
by Jon Mitchell - Jun. 8, 2010

Brief but believable insight into the state of the solar market. This is the kind of thing that's bound to happen in an "immature" industry, and surely the glut in supply will lead to some exciting developments, such as buyouts and consolidations, as Fehrenbacher says.

See Full Review » (10 answers)
Fabrice Florin
3.1
by Fabrice Florin - Jun. 9, 2010

Brief news report on short-term challenges faced by solar manufacturers this year. While the information is factual, it is a bit shallow and relies on a single source, without much context or depth about the larger trends affecting the solar industry.

See Full Review » (10 answers)
Mike LaBonte
2.4
by Mike LaBonte - Jun. 9, 2010

Not enough information to claim "gross oversupply", and almost completely single sourced.

This doesn't have quite enough information to support it's claim of gross oversupply. Some numbers are given for the demand side, showing strong growth. To prove oversupply some supply numbers would have to be given.

See Full Review » (11 answers)
Dale Penn
2.8
by Dale Penn - Jun. 9, 2010

More of a blurb than an article, the autor offers little evidence to support her premise.

See Full Review » (4 answers)
Kaizar Campwala
3.6
by Kaizar Campwala - Jun. 9, 2010

Pretty strong analysis of the industry.

See Full Review » (10 answers)
Alexander Rose
4.0
by Alexander Rose - Jun. 9, 2010

Good overview of what the solar industry is facing this year.

See Full Review » (4 answers)
Gwen Rose
4.0
by Gwen Rose - Jun. 9, 2010

The storyline highlights several trends that will probably matter in the long-term: consolidation in the industry (vertically and horizontally) which will help it mature, and increased competitiveness which will drive down costs.

See Full Review » (4 answers)

Comments on this story Help (BETA)

NT Rating | My Rating

Ratings

3.3

Average
from 7 reviews (79% confidence)
Quality
3.3
Information
3.4
Insight
3.4
Style
3.2
Context
2.5
Expertise
3.5
Originality
3.2
Relevance
3.5
Responsibility
3.8
Popularity
3.1
Recommendation
3.3
# Reviews
3.5
# Views
5.0
# Likes
1.0
# Emails
1.0
More
How our ratings work »
(See these related stories.)

Links Help

  • Cloudy Outlook For Solar Panels: Costs Substantially Eclipse Benefits, Study Shows

    Despite increasing popular support for solar photovoltaic panels in the United States, their costs far outweigh the benefits, according to a new analysis by Severin ...
    Posted by Jon Mitchell
  • Loan to Kick-start U.S. Solar Thermal Industry

    A massive $1.37 billion loan guarantee that the U.S. Department of Energy granted to Brightsource Energy last week could help clear the way for over 15 gigawatts of solar ...
    Posted by Jon Mitchell