Solar disenchantment

[Manonthestreet]

Eclipse of the solar farms: Environment Secretary Liz Truss tells farmers 'no more handouts for ugly fields of glass...grow veg!'
Handouts to fund massive solar farms are to be axed by Liz Truss
Move is part of David Cameron's attempt to move away from green politics Eclipse of the solar farms Environment Secretary Liz Truss tells farmers no more handouts for ugly fields of glass...grow veg Daily Mail Online

 

[Old Rocks]

U.S. Solar Market Insight SEIA

Released September 5, 2014

The U.S. installed 1,133 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in the second quarter of 2014 to total 15.9 gigawatts (GW) installed capacity, enough to power 3.2 million homes. SEIA and GTM Research forecast that PV installations will reach 6.5 GW in 2014, up 36 percent over 2013 and more than three times the market size over just three years ago.

Who wouldn't like to have an investment that grows at 36% per annum.

 

[Old Rocks]

PV Solar Growth

Those are gw. 700% growth in 5 years. Rather robust, I would say.

 

[Old Rocks]

What is disenchanted with everything invented since 1900 are our 'Conservatives' who would prefer to be still shoveling horse shit out of the streets.

 

[elektra]

What is disenchanted with everything invented since 1900 are our 'Conservatives' who would prefer to be still shoveling horse shit out of the streets.

You shovel horse shit out of your mouth

 

[Old Rocks]

OK, You made your oh so very intelligent comment. Care to address the issue of the rate of growth of solar power, in this nation, and worldwide?

 

[Manonthestreet]

Same old lies.....we prefer stuff that works......as opposed to hope and change...btw UK winter situation just became more iffy...gas power plant up in smoke.......

 

[saveliberty]

U.S. Solar Market Insight SEIA

Released September 5, 2014

The U.S. installed 1,133 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in the second quarter of 2014 to total 15.9 gigawatts (GW) installed capacity, enough to power 3.2 million homes. SEIA and GTM Research forecast that PV installations will reach 6.5 GW in 2014, up 36 percent over 2013 and more than three times the market size over just three years ago.

Who wouldn't like to have an investment that grows at 36% per annum.

They are not making money Old Rocks.

 

[Old Rocks]

U.S. Solar Market Insight SEIA

Released September 5, 2014

The U.S. installed 1,133 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in the second quarter of 2014 to total 15.9 gigawatts (GW) installed capacity, enough to power 3.2 million homes. SEIA and GTM Research forecast that PV installations will reach 6.5 GW in 2014, up 36 percent over 2013 and more than three times the market size over just three years ago.

Who wouldn't like to have an investment that grows at 36% per annum.

They are not making money Old Rocks.

Really?

From 2011;

Solar Operating Margins Compared to Other Industries CleanTechnica

Update: as this post by Christian Rolseund of Solar Server shows, operating margins vary greatly within the solar industry, and they have varied greatly this year due to falling demand from policy changes or policy uncertainty and oversupply — while some larger PV companies had operating margins of 10% (Trina Solar), 14% (Yingli), and 18% (First Solar) in the first half of 2011, the average for the top six PV cell and module manufacturers in the world was 8.4% in the first quarter of 2011 and -15.9% in the second quarter (or 11.7% and 0.3% when leaving Germany’s struggling Q-Cells out). However, even in the second quarter of 2011, some companies thrived — JinkoSolar had an 18% operating margin, “Wacker Chemie AG reported a 47% operating margin from its polysilicon division,” and “REC’s polysilicon division reported a 55% operating margin.” First Solar’s third-quarter operating margin is now reported to be 22%.

 

[saveliberty]

Operating margins are really not meaningful when you are subsidized from day one.

 

[Old Rocks]

Looks pretty good for First Solar.

Will Solar Power Remain Profitable in 2014

According to First Solar's recent guidance for 2014, the company expects to increase its sales by over 16% year over year. SunPower projects its revenue will be roughly $2.55 billion -- less than a 2% gain over 2013.

These developments are likely to increase the competition and bring the price of solar panels down. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the average price of a photovoltaic installed system dropped by 15% during 2013. This trend is likely to persist as competition intensifies. A decline in prices could also lead to lower profit margins. SunPower projects its 2014 gross margin will reach an average of 20% and could fall as low as 19%. Back in 2013, this margin was 20.4%.

First Solar's gross margin is projected to drop from 26% in 2013 to around 17% in 2014. This could partly explain the company's lower than expected earnings per share guidance for 2014, which is between $2.2 and $2.6 per diluted share. In comparison, last year, First Solar's EPS was $3.7.

Both companies expect to see a decline in their profit margins during 2014. Nonetheless, both companies still expect to increase their capital expenditure during 2014. First Solar's capital expenditure is expected to range between $300 million and $350 million; back in 2013 its capex was $282 million. The company also has a war chest of more than $1.3 billion in cash, so a liquidity problem isn't likely to be an issue anytime soon. Even if First Solar's operating cash flow contracts in 2014, this won't force the company to cut down on its capex.

SunPower also expects to increase its capex to $160 million. Last year it was only $34 million.

 

[Old Rocks]

Operating margins are really not meaningful when you are subsidized from day one.

Kind of like oil companies?

 

[Old Rocks]

Not bad, not bad at all.

Solar Project Companies Increase Profit Margins as Module Costs Continue on a Downward - Yahoo Finance

You see a lot of headlines about solar and how the stocks have performed very poorly, and that's predominately focused on the upstream. By that I mean anywhere from polysilicon production to module production. Additionally, prices have dropped precipitously really because of oversupply, but what that means is it's actually good for the solar market, because as costs come down for the whole system it makes more cost competitive with fossil fuel generation.

Those downstream people - the First Solar, SunPower, SolarCity - they're actually going out there building out projects, actually benefit from oversupply that's occurring in the module side of the business. So these companies, I think, are doing well. You will see First Solar and SunPower, two solar companies - probably solar companies out there that actually do have positive earnings. Both have solid balance sheets, both are moving away from subsidized markets into markets that make sense from...

 

[Manonthestreet]

None of which changes or impacts UK situation.....funny how countries that build out huge solar kick themselves after having done it UK Germany Spain

 

[saveliberty]

Solandra...

-1,000% a few years back.

 

[Old Rocks]

Ever hear of a Whippet, silly ass?