First Solar Panels Piling Up?

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/first-solar-panels-piling-up-5365.html

First Solar Panels Piling Up?

ThinkEquity analyst believes there's a surplus of low-cost panels from First Solar out there. That could spell trouble for crystalline silicon panel makers as well.

by: Ucilia Wang
December 12, 2008

First Solar's thin-film panels might be piling up in European warehouses, a bad omen for a company envied by many in the solar industry.

A ThinkEquity research note on Friday estimated that six key First Solar (NSDQ: FSLR) customers aren't able to install the solar panels quick enough. Those customers, including EDF Energies Nouvelles, Conergy, Ecostream, Phoenix Solar and Colexon, might have an even tough time doing so in 2009, when First Solar is due to ship even more panels to them than it did in 2008.

"We believe there are multiple of 10MW's of First Solar panels sitting in customer warehouses. Moreover, we don't expect these modules to move out soon, given weakening economics, lower natural gas prices, higher interest rates, and tougher underwriting requirements," wrote Jonathan Hoopes, managing director of energy technology research at ThinkEquity.

While an inventory build up is bad news for First Solar and its customers, the phenomenon might spell more trouble for crystalline silicon panel makers, said Travis Bradford, president of the Prometheus Institute, which tracks the solar market.

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[Juche]

1. Selling them at $2.50 a watt?

That is still half the cost of silicon solar (around $5 a watt) but other companies like nanosolar claim to be able to sell thin film solar for $1 a watt and still make a profit.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2007/12/nanosolar_ships_its_first_1_per_watt_panel.html

I have heard the goal is also to get the price down to $.50 by 2012 or so. When that happens, imagine the effects in rural Africa and Asia.

[FreakinDJ]

2. Yes but thanks to Dip Shit Reagan they won't be made in America

To think we were the industry leader prior to that piece of shit getting into office

[Juche]

3. Nanosolar is a US company

They are in California.

[FreakinDJ]

4. Understood - but Germany still leads in solar thanx Reagan

he made it job 1 to destroy a budding cottage industry and save countless billions of american wealth from leaving the country

[Juche]

5. I agree

Had Carter been reelected the US would be a much bigger exporter of renewable technology and smaller importer of oil.

[kristopher]

6. And how did "ThinkEquity" do at predicting the meltdown?

These people are thinking one to two quarters ahead at most. Who gives a fig what they are recommending?