1366 Technologies has got a $150 million DOE Loan Guarantee as the startup looks to raise $300 million to fund its solar wafer producing factory.Note the company is using an innovative technology which it says will be game changer in reducing the costs for making solar wafers.Note Solar Wafer Companies in China have managed to raise scale and reduce costs substantially in recent years winning marketshare from European companies like REC and Solarworld.The smaller companies like PV Crystalox are in deep trouble because of their high cost of operations and are trading at a fractional of their book value.Its a tough environment for solar companies especially if they are starting out as established solar panel companies like Evergreen Solar are facing potential bankruptcy.Evergreen Solar got millions of dollars in grants and loans from Massachusetts however the company has been forced to shut down its factory.Like 1366 Technologies Evergreen too uses a unique technology “String Ribbon” to producer solar wafers .However it has not been able to scale and reduce costs compared to the mainstream silicon solar wafer producers like LDK and GCL.

Equity saw a tepid low single-digit return in 2022 mostly because the market remains in the high valuation zone. Also, with FD returns touching nearly 7%-8%, equity looks less appealing. However, that being said, some sectors should do well going forward. Let’s have a look:

i) Industrials should do well in 2023 supported by the government’s pro-manufacturing policies such as the PLI scheme, factors around China, Atma-nirbhar Bharat, etc. which should lead to billions of dollars as CapEx in sectors such as green energy, chemicals, pharma, auto (electric vehicles), electronics, etc. Capital goods companies should do well. However, you need to be careful of the valuation of stocks you invest in as the overvalued sectors can see some correction.

ii) Banks and financials have done very well in 2022 and should continue to do well with increasing profits. Stocks have come out of their bad debt cycle and now mostly have clean balance sheets. PSU banks, private banks, NBFCs, all have good prospects. Insurance and AMCs which have seen some price correction are another good bet.

iii) Healthcare and IT which have seen some price correction have pockets of value. These are the areas where India has a strong global competitive advantage as well as evergreen sectors. They also have strong cash-generating abilities with pharma having a huge growing domestic market.

iv) Media and Infra stocks which have been beaten down sectors are also good bets in 2023.

I would stay away from sectors that have high valuations as the risk of drawdown is possible as Indian markets remain much more expensive than other emerging and developing markets. Also, given the global geopolitical issues and economic slowdown equity might not be the best investment asset. Click here to know more about investing in:

Fixed Deposits in 2023 and Gold in 2023.

Introduction

Innovation and technology are two major things that are leading the world. From automatic doors to fully grown robots, rapid changes are taking place globally. This article will shed light on why you should own an electric car in the modern world. Various electric car advantages include:

savings

Save Money

Unless you are a millionaire, saving money is a top priority. The fuel cost of using a typical vehicle is too high. People worldwide spend thousands of dollars on buying fuel every day, making it difficult for a person in the middle-class segment of the population to use a car that drives on petrol. Furthermore, the cost of maintaining the vehicle is also high and makes it impossible for a budgeted person to own a car. The common perception is that an electric car is much more than a standard car; I am afraid that is not right. Since these electric cars are evergreen, the government charges zero taxes on an electric vehicle and promotes the purchasing of cars that are sustainable to the environment. Electric car charging stations are also available almost everywhere for your feasibility. Since we are on the topic of saving money, online writing services like CustomEssayOrder can help you in crafting the perfect essay or academic paper at reasonable rates. 

Distance 

The initial electric cars that were launched traveled a less distance with one charge. However, with the new technology incorporated in making electric cars, the distance has significantly increased.  For example, in 2008, Tesla launched its first electric car known as the Roadster. The Roadster could travel 245 miles or roughly 349 kilometers on a single charge. Further investigation showed that its acceleration was way more than an average gasoline car, and people started to compare the Roadster to many sports cars.

Another example is that of the Nissan LEAF. This car can travel 107 miles on one charge; how amazing is that! Moreover, Chevy Bolt has a 240-mile range of charge. You must have wondered how long does it take to charge an electric car. It takes almost 5-6 hours to charge the car, and you can travel a distance of more than 200 miles with one charge. The distance factor is crucial because charging a vehicle several times a day can become a hassle, and there might not be a charging station available nearby. Best electric cars are the ones that can travel a long distance on one charge and take less time to charge from a station. 

Less Maintenance 

Another reason why to choose an electric car is the minimal maintenance cost. The low maintenance cost is a major motivating factor for you to purchase an electric car. People think that since an electric car is more complex, it has a more generous maintenance cost. On the contrary, an electric car has less moving parts and requires a lower oil change frequency than a gasoline vehicle. It makes it more reliable and feasible for the user. One of the significant advantages of using an electric vehicle is that it requires less fluid change. For a gasoline vehicle, you have to conduct periodic oil, transmission, and fluid changes. These charges vary from vehicle to vehicle, and they are more costly than your average gasoline car. People are mostly concerned about battery replacement costs in electric vehicles. It is somewhat true, but an Electric-charged vehicle’s battery life is more than two years. There is ample time to save money to replace your old car; the price of battery change still does not surpass the cost of fluid changes over the two years. 

Pollution

Cut Pollution 

Global warming is also a rising concern in the modern world. Industrial waste and factory byproducts negatively impact the environment. Another leading cause of air pollution is the gases released by a gasoline car. When petrol burns, it releases gases that are toxic to the environment and humans. On the other hand, electric vehicles produce zero gases as the car works on battery and no petrol burns whatsoever. 

Government Grants

Government offers grants to people who purchase electric vehicles. It is to motivate consumers to buy electric vehicles because they are safer for the environment. The government’s indulgence in this Go Green initiative shows how severe pollution is caused by gasoline cars. Essay Zoo and other online writing services have several samples that can help you better understand why the government is invested in buying electric vehicles. 

Make Money Going Green

Using electric cars does not only save money, but it can also make money. Since charging an electric car requires more electricity, you might be compelled to install a solar panel to minimize the electric bills. The use of solar panels can be beneficial in not one but two ways.  On one side, you are saving money by using solar energy, and on the other hand, solar is powering your home appliances. So, in short, you are saving money and making money at the same time. The electric vehicle’s cost is now covering the investment you were hesitant to make in solar panels to convert your home energy source to solar. It is like killing two birds with one stone. The excess energy that is not utilized by the home is transferred to the electric governmental authorities, and they pay you for every unused unit. However, if you still cannot afford an electric car, many companies offer electric car rental services. 

Luxury at a Lower Price

Electric car customers are more satisfied with their vehicles’ performance than people with regular cars. It is because vehicles that work on electricity are quieter than regular engine cars. It gives a smooth and hassle-free ride experience that feels premium. The reason for a noise-less engine is the lack of moving parts that are required to make the car functional. Talking about luxury at lower prices,  EduJungles is an online writing service with experts to help you out with your college assignments. 

Future

It is Future

Stop being stuck with old things; the world is moving on, so should you. The rising demand for these electric vehicles shows that the world moves away from fossil fuels like petrol and coming towards a more sustainable way of travel. Every human being must observe the ecology and evolution trend; we owe it to our planet. 

Conclusion 

To sum it all up, the reasons above are pretty compelling for a person who is tired of the extra fuel and maintenance cost of a gasoline vehicle. Buying an electric vehicle is very important if you want to get with the time and sway your tensions away. 

Is Sungevity going Bankrupt

It is no secret that the residential solar panel installer business model that was going great guns till last year has suddenly gone bust. The biggest solar panel installer Solarcity was going downhill rapidly till it was rescued at the last minute by Tesla who acquired it in a controversial deal that was criticized in a lot of quarters. SunEdison which used to be another big solar panel installer in the U.S. also went bankrupt. That was not only due to the residential segment but because of the massive uncontrolled expansion that led to the downfall of the once largest renewable energy company in the world.

Solar Rooftop Panels

Sungevity which is one of the 5 largest solar panel installers in US is also facing huge problems as it runs out of cash. A planned fund infusion and reverse merger has failed, which means that the company faces imminent bankruptcy. The company which has already fired a substantial part of its workforce in March has again fired 66 workers as per news report. The company which raised $1 billion in funding over the years has failed to become profitable. The company’s asset light model of outsourcing almost all parts of the solar panel installation work has not worked. Sungevity which used to rely on its software based platforms similar to Facebook has even not worked. The solar panel installation business is notoriously difficult and the main reason for the large size solar panel installers in US was the financing model. As getting tax equity was difficult and the capital required for solar panel installation was quite high, these companies were doing really well providing the crucial financing link from large banks and tax equity providers to rooftop owners.

also read about the largest solar panel installers in India.

Now the business has changed and financing is no longer a hurdle, these solar panel installers in US are finding it very hard to justify their existence. The company had devised a path to profitability, but given the dire straits that the company and the whole industry is in, it looks like another billion dollar bankruptcy for the U.S. solar industry similar to Solyndra, Evergreen Solar and many others.

Renesola forecasts 10% GM

The Chinese overcapacity  has made even the top Chinese solar players run for cover, given the disastrous decline in prices across the solar supply chain. Renesola (NYSE:SOL) said that it foresess a 20% decline in solar panel and wafer prices in Q3 of 2016, as compared to the first half of this year. A large part of the decline has already happened with PV insights showing a price of just 43 cents/watt for solar panels and just 15 cents/watt for solar wafers.

Also read Solar Panel Prices in 2016 from now on depends mainly on Chinese demand trajectory.

Renesola thinks that it can make a gross margin of just 10% at these prices. The main factor behind this dramatic decline in prices has been the drying up of Chinese demand, after the cut in FIT in June. Prices have been falling since July and have not stopped falling. While Renesola expects some stability in September, there is no guarantee unless the capacity goes away in China. With the Chinese government pumping credit and debt into the economy, it looks unlikely that Tier 2 Chinese companies are going to close due to these distressed conditions. Global overcapacity in solar panels has persisted since 2012, due to the strange government controlled capitalism in China which does not allow companies to go bankrupt easily. The government has also been funneling money into the banking sector, which allows evergreening on debt and prevents the weaker companies from folding up due to a lack of funding. That is the reason why you see dead companies walking in the form of Yingli Energy.

solar farm

This sharp fall will result in additional difficulties for all companies and a number of them have already announced a halt to their capacity expansion plans, as companies hunker down to face another severe downturn. A gross margin of 10% implies a sharp negative net margin considering that operating expenses are itself 10% of revenues. The last downturn saw LDK and Suntech go technically bankrupt and this time another few large companies could go down.

Many companies are banking on project development to help them pass the downturn with Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ) saying that it will sell more projects if it does not meet its revenue guidance, due to a slowdown in modules sales. Some like Hanwha Solar are not overtly concerned and have not reduced their shipment guidance, despite the severe slowdown. One of the things that will help companies is that demand will increase though with a lag. This will help reduce the overcapacity. However, it is to be noted that there are no large electricity markets which can absorb massive amounts of solar power. Unlike last time, there is no China, India and Japan which are relatively underpenetrated and can soak up 10-20 GW of solar power capacity this time.

China installed a gargantuan 20 GW during the first half, while Japan too wants to slow down given that solar power capacity already makes a large chunk of its power. India already has an ambitious 100 GW solar target and cannot take too much more.

Also read Solar Cell Price and Solar Panel Cost in India.

You’re all probably aware that conditions in the solar industry are challenging. Accordingly, we’re operating conservatively going into the second half of the year. Demand is slowing in most regions of the world pressuring sales growth and margins.

At this point in the quarter, we can see the slowdown quite clearly in China and other regions. Our strategy has always been to keep the company stable in tougher times and strive in good times. Again, we intend to be flexible and resilient as the industry cycles through a sluggish period in the next couple of quarters.

Source – Seeking Alpha Transcripts

New Solar Wafer Technology

The last 5-10 years have seen a dramatic decline in the costs of silicon solar panel, mainly due to the improvement in manufacturing processes and polysiliconincrease in scale. The cost drop has been so fast and so steep that it has made solar energy competitive with major fossil fuels, such as coal and gas in most parts of the world.

Solar energy is not only being installed due to its cheap price and rapid installation, but also majorly because of its green attributes and environment friendly nature. However, the solar panel manufacturing process has more or less remained the same with most of the cost decline coming due improvement of existing processes. Though technology has played a role in improving the efficiency of silicon solar cells that has not been the major factor behind the decline in prices of solar panels from $4/watt in 2008, to around 45 cents/watt now.

Now a new startup plans to radically change the manufacturing of solar panels through a new technique. The firm 1366 Technologies which has been around for a long time is now starting to make commercial shipments of its uniquely manufactured solar wafers. These solar wafers are the main raw materials for the production of solar cells, which are an intermediate step to the production of solar panels. Solar wafer is the biggest cost component of a solar cell and a cost decline in solar cells will lead to a further sharp cut in the cost of solar panels.

Read more bout 1366 Technologies’ disrupting technology here.

1366 Technologies is producing solar wafers by molding of solar wafers, rather than following the traditional process of production of polysilicon ingots and then slicing them into wafers. 1366 claims that this process reduces the amount of polysilicon usage in wafers by 50%, which will allow almost 25% of the cost of the wafers to be saved in terms of raw material costs. These wafers can also be used in existing production lines, which will make it easy to adopt this product by solar cell companies.

Another USA company Evergreen Solar had got a fair bit of success by making wafers differently, but the company required that its wafer should be used in its own solar cell and module making processes, which limited its adaptability. Like many of the other solar startups Evergreen also folded up, as it was unable to compete with the large scale of the Chinese major solar panel companies.

1366 Technologies is also making further R&D to reduce the size of the wafers, by planning a wafer with differential thickness in different areas of the solar wafers. This will reduce the incidence of breakage of the thin wafers, which is the main impediment behind the further improvement of solar wafers going forward. Solar wafers which are already at the 180-200 um thickness, are now facing trouble in reducing the thickness as thin wafers break more easily.