Beam me up Scotty

Ignore 'Experts', Solar Energy Stocks Are Headed Up

Aside from the challenges of oversupply for commoditized cell and panel manufacturers, the installers also need to find ways of differentiatiing - marketing 101. It is basically a labor-intensive building contractor business which has historically been very competitive and low margin. In some places like NJ, prevailing rates have entered the equation for non-residential applications, intensifying the labor component. So the prior historical problems of high panel pricing have disappeared only to have traditional, age-old labor issues take their place. You need a lot of volume to make up the losses in margin with these things going on. Higher growth is coming but higher profits - that's another story.

The Difference Between TARP and TALF

We've come a long way from junk bonds to junk industries - banking, insurance and financial services. We need to give up control of these poorly managed companies to foreigners with the reserves to buy them up (if we can persuade them to buy). Perhaps they can improve management at all levels by removing the existing regimes and starting with a fresh set of agendas.