Solar power jobs in America — Supplied by Chinese company
July 23, 2009 by Tom GuayPosted in: Green Investing, In this week's e-newsletter, News, Technology
Green jobs are coming to America, thanks to the world’s largest producer of solar energy products, a Chinese company.
Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd., the world’s largest crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer, announced plans to build a new solar manufacturing facility somewhere in the U.S. Why will a Chinese company come to America? Suntech sees:
- dramatic growth in utility demand for large-scale wholesale solar projects
- several states offering incentive programs for customer-owned systems, and
- the federal government’s recent stimulus package.
This combination of incentives sets up “steady, long-term growth in demand,” according to Suntech.
Click here to see Suntech’s announcement.
There should be some good deals ahead for those interested in purchasing solar technology. Suntech clearly sees trouble ahead for the solar power industry, so its move to the U.S. may signal tougher times for American solar companies.
Reason: Suntech’s CEO, Zhengrong Shi, says there’s a glut of solar panel producers on the market today. He predicts prices will fall 20% to 30% in this year’s third quarter. Prices could fall as much as 50% by 2013, he says.
Tags: green jobs, solar power
GreenandMore.com
Loading ...
May 21st, 2009 at 9:29 am
Why should the US let a Chinese company in to build with FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY FOR AMERICANS? Isn’t that part of the argument on why the US is in such bad shape is the glut of Chinese and other products, NOT products “Made in the USA” by American companies.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:40 am
I agree. We do not need another foreign company to replace U.S. workers. We have the workers and the know-how to produce what is needed. Out sourcing is ridiculous and unnecessary.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:14 am
I agree with Janet – we need the new jobs, but we REALLY need new USA jobs, USA companies. If we are going to help the U.S. with green jobs, they better be with U.S. companies, or we’re simply going to send more money to the Chinese. I don’t entirely like being protectionist, but we’ve got to realize that outsourcing everything is inherently bad for our country and our workers. I “buy American” every chance I get, even paying more, but it’s become very difficult to do so. Hooray for the new jobs, but where are the Americans?
May 21st, 2009 at 11:07 am
Janet,
I hit the link to their press release and I’m not sure that stimulus money is to go directly to the Chineese manufacturer but rather to be used as an incentive for other solar PV panel end users to go green and and buy solar products in general. Some of the profits would go to the Chineese manufaturer as well as to the salaries of the American workers who be hired to build, maintain, and operate the manufacturing plant here in the US.
May 21st, 2009 at 2:06 pm
I would wager that they would still build the panels in China.
May 25th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
freakin’ pathetic
May 28th, 2009 at 9:27 am
this administration is putting the “con” in Congress.
July 25th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Well, I’m no expert on foreign affairs or the energy bills, but I do know that I try to avoid buying anything made by the Chinese. I have come to realize this is no easy task. It used to be that everything was made in Japan, but now try and go into a retail store and fill a basket with American made goods. Daunting, to say the least. C’mon America, it’s time to stand on our own feet. I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees!
July 27th, 2009 at 7:43 am
When are we going to realize we need to give tax breaks to business, so we can get American business back in America, and get OURSELVES back to work?
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:40 am
When are you folks going to recognize that the Chinese and everyone else out there who’s bringing product to the U.S. is doing it precisely becasue it’s just not getting done here? There is unmet demand that results from a lack of US innovation, a lack of capital investment innovative start-ups and an appalling lack of public investment in our education system. And besides, competition is the only way to a healthy market.
So put aside your xenophobic paranoia and put down the stars and stripes and do something better than just whining.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:15 am
If the Chinese are building a plant in the US to manufacture solar panels, wouldn’t that indicate they will need American employees? They are not the only foreign company to have a presense in the US, and it should be remembered that OUR companies have been relocating around the world for a long time. Shipping expenses, hight taxes, labor and material expenses all come in to play when planning a manufacturing and marketing enterprise. It would be in our best interest to make America as business friendly as possible, and maybe we could keep some of our jobs at home, and maybe even entice a few back.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Paul and Semosolar are on the right track.
What everybody who bandies about the idea that “America is the greatest country” and “We are the leaders of the world” and “Chinese Companies are ruining us” have had their head in the sand and have no idea how the world has been transforming for the past decade or so.
The ONLY reason these companies are coming to the US, have more to do with COST. It will actually be cheaper to come to the US and manufacture these items here, where the demand is shifting, than it is to ship these products clear across the world. Shipping costs are NOT insignificant, especially on large items such as Solar Panels.
What does it matter who owns the company? If they are here providing jobs to american workers, what’s the downside?
If you think for one minute that America is the economic powerhouse it once was…. think again.
The flattening of world, embrace it, because quite frankly it’s happening whether you like it or not.