vboring

Renewable Energy: Approaching Grid Parity?

solar has only achieved grid parity in terms of cost in places with massive subsidies, only according to the most idealistic assumptions, and only in places with the worst power system management.

take away the subsidies and mandates, and add some reality and you end up with coal delivered for about $.06/kWh in most places and solar for about $.25/kWh.

this is why there are several new large scale coal plants being built in Nevada. to economically serve California's load without emitting CO2 in California.

Hawaii has huge access to geothermal that they have chosen not to develop so far because the volcano is considered sacred.

FSLR may make huge piles of cash, but most of it will be from idealism, subsidies, and mandates, not from a better energy product.

High-Flying First Solar Takes Aim At Utility Market

nanosolar is still going to eat their lunch.

scalable production, aluminum foil substrate instead of glass, lower dependence on Si.

First Solar Not as Fun as SOLF Today

Somebody must have forgotten to tell them that Tellurium is going to supernova and destroy them and their profit margins too.

Personally, I'd worry more about next generation organic solar panels and companies like nanosolar, with their scalable roll-to-roll manufacturing techniques.

Cadmium Telluride Casts Shadow on First Solar

Sounds like more unjustifiable alarmism, Mark.

If every company is having trouble complying with the new RoHS standard, the standard will be changed.

The other option will be to let the economy die.

And even if Europe did close its borders to all FSLR product, California and Texas will be more than happy to soak up the supply.

I'm afraid the crash you are shorting for has no foreseeable cause today.