WTG

February 17, 2012

Renewable Energy Jobs become Less Attractive with Crashing Profits and Stocks

Renewable Energy Industry is going through some of the toughest times yet with profits and share prices of Green Companies crashing. 2011 was a horrendous year with the biggest solar company by value First Solar being the worst performer in S&P 500. Many of the biggest wind and solar companies were mired in red ink as competition and oversupply from China led to green indicies falling by more than 50% . Many of the biggest companies collapsed and many others are on lifeline.

February 1, 2012

Another Brutal Year for Solar and Wind Stocks in Offing Despite Growing Demand

Solar and Wind Stocks have been massacred in 2011 mainly due to the following reasons 1) Chinese oversupply which is outcome of its massive industrial overcapacity and investment. This has decimated wind and solar companies in the West while also leading to margins and profits collapsing 2) Commoditazation of Technology and Erosion of Entry Barriers 3) Massive and Irrational Subsidies by Asian countries to support Green Industry

January 16, 2012

Goldwind Wins 13 Wind Contracts in America as Chinese Extend Global Leadership, More Trouble for Vestas, GE

Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology Co (Goldwind) is the 2nd biggest Chinese wind turbine producer and amongst the top 5 wind turbine companies in the world. Goldwind stock has been punished alongwith other Chinese wind turbine stocks as a fierce price war in the Chinese market has led to nosediving margins and revenues. There is massive overcapacity in the Chinese wind market as there are around 100 odd producers of wind turbines with 7 out of the 15 top global wind turbine makers. Chinese Government policies have been changed to weed out the smaller inefficient wind turbine makers, however the competition still remains quite high just like the Solar Panel Industry.

January 6, 2012

How to Play 25 GW Chinese Annual Wind Capacity Increase for 38 Years – Sinovel and Goldwind

China adds around 100 GW of Electric Power Capacity each year to meet the growing energy demands of its population.Most of it is thermal power which is becoming costlier besides the dangerous disadvantages of coal.China has been trying to increase its hydro and nuclear power capacity,but nuclear energy has recived a setback with Fukushima.Solar Power in China is also increasing but it will take time as well to satisfy the electricity deficit.China is already the largest wind power market in the world installing almost 50% of the wind capacity in 2010.It intends to keep up the furious pace of wind turbine installations at around 25 GW per year for the next 35 years to reach 1000 GW by 2050.China already has around 7 of the top 15 wind turbine producers.However a vicious price war has thrown a lot of the wind producers into bankruptcy.

January 5, 2012

Vestas faces Death Knell/ Consolidation aka First Solar from Price War by Chinese Wind Turbine Producers

Chinese Wind Turbine Companies have unleashed a global price war in which Western producers are unable to compete.While Solar Panel producers in the West are dying like flies,Western WTG Makers too face survival questions.Vestas which is the world's biggest turbine company in terms of installations announced another revenue shortfall for the nth time in the last couple of years.The company has already restructed ,reduce workforce etc etc.However the price competition from the Asian companies is too severe and too sustained for Vestas to surive too long.Like First Solar,Vestas seems a likely candidate for takeover by one of the big industrial conglomerates.It has become too tough for a renewable energy company in the West to survive on their own.

January 3, 2012

Chinese Wind Tower Companies face Dumping Danger after Solar Panel Makers

Chinese Solar Panel Producers have become a famous target of an anti dumping petition brought on by Solarworld and other companies.Though US Solar Installers have opposed the move as it will increase the solar panel prices in US,ITC has gone ahead with the investigation.Though the charges of subsidies and efficiency can be debated,the fact remains that US Solar Panel Producers can't compete with Chinese Solar Panles.Massive industrial overcapacity in China has made the prices of products very cheap and made it difficult for Western producers to compete in most areas such as Chemical,Renewable Energy,Textiles etc.The Chinese win because of their low interest rates,cheap labor,free land,massive government support.

July 2, 2011

Vestas drowning in Chinese Competition gets EDF Energies Nouvelles Lifeline – Order could reach 2000 MW Wind Turbine

Vestas has been getting bigger orders and has been streamlining operations,however its stock price has continued to go down as investors see bleak future prospects wit hthe entry of Korean shipbuilders into the industry.Other heavyweights like Gamesa and Suzlon too have faced massive losses as margins have evaporated in the face of declining topline and prices.But now Vestas has got a lifeline from the renewable energy subsidiary of the French giant utility EDF.The order from is for 2000 MW of Wind Turbines over the next few years.While pricing was not disclosed,it would be certainly be at a discount to the normally premium prices charged by Vestas.This given order visibility to Vestas and provides price safety for EDF.The next frontier for Wind Energy Companies is going to be Offshore Wind and Siemens has stolen a march.Vestas is not going down without a fight recently introducing a 7 MW wind turbine for this segment

June 23, 2011

Offshore Wind Energy in China – 300x Growth in 10 years,List of Offshore Wind Companies and Subsidies

China installed almost 50% of the world's wind power energy capacity in 2010 as its market exploded from almost nothing to around 18 GW.China's massive energy needs and its growing emissions and pollution problems have led to strong tailwinds for the wind industry.This has also led to the growth of a massive domestic industry which has led to 8 Chinese Wind Turbine Producers among the top 15 global WTG suppliers.Now China is looking to make major inroads into offshore wind energy which is dominated by Europe.China has the only offshore wind farm in Asia off Shanghai and is looking to rapidly ramp up as its energy needs keep growing.With more than 70% of China's electricity coming from dirty coal and the country already consuming 3 billion tons of coal a year,energy sources have to be diversified urgently.

May 12, 2011

80% Chinese Wind Turbines Companies might be Bankrupted as Smaller Producer to lose Government Subsidies (NDRC,MIIT) – Beneficial for Sinovel,Mingyang,Goldwind

The Chinese Wind Industry has around 80 wind turbine companies many of which are quite small and don't' have the money and expertise to compete in the international markets.Though the Chinese dominate the top global wind turbine companies list with 7 of the top 15 WTG companies Chinese,many are not competitive.Sinovel which has become the largest wind turbine company has recently canceled order for Electrical Control Systems from American Superconductor citing high inventory.Other Wind Turbine companies are in even more trouble as the industry suffers from huge overcapacity.The Chinese Wind Capacity has grown at 100% CAGR to reach 18 GW in 2010.However this strong growth has led to saturation of the wind market and price wars are being seen in China.Exports to other countries have been difficult as the cost of transportation of Wind Turbines is high.Besides Chinese Wind Companies don't possess strong technology and quality unlike established ones like Vestas,Gamesa,GE and Siemens.Though Dongfang and Shanghai Electric have managed to win some Turbine Orders in India,the export percentage is negligible.Wind Power in India too has reached a stable growth level and a number of wind companes in India are fighting for marketshare as well.

March 10, 2011

List of Top Wind Power/Turbine Companies/Stocks – Chinese Rising

Wind Turbine (WTG) Companies are increasingly facing competition from a host of new entrants into the industry.The dominants firms like Vestas,Gamesa,GE,Siemens and Suzlon have seen their stock prices fall steeply due to declining revenues and margins.A number of Giant Industrial Firms have entered the Wind Energy Industry to diversify from the slow growth in their own sectors.Korean Shipbuilders have invested heavily in the Wind Turbine Manufacturing en masse to take advantage of the secular growth of Wind Energy.Chinese companies have risen from virtually nothing 5 years ago to become Top 5 Global Wind Energy Players.The Chinese companies have seen massive growth on the back of a strongly growing domestic market.China which now accounts of 50% of the world Wind Turbine market in 2010 is expected to see continued strong growth with the Chinese government setting a target of more than 100 GW by 2015.Here is a list of the major Wind Power Companies in the World.