Solar Bankruptcies-The Real Story

摘要

Many point to the bankruptcies of Solyndra LLC, Evergreen Solar Inc. and SpectraWatt as evidence of a solar energy failure. Solyn-dra received a $535 million loan from the Department of Energy (DOE) at very favorable rates. Some say the rates were too favorable and the loan might have been rushed.They call it a "scandal."Solyndra failed because in this global competitive market, governments are trying to nurse companies through the growth stage so they will become international leaders. The mainstream media reports Solyndra and others are victims of too much federal involvement, but the opposite is probably true. The U.S. government might not have been supporting our companies enough. Many top solar panel manufacturers are in China, where government loans dwarf what the DOE lent Solyndra. Chinese manufacturers, flush with cash, are selling panels at extremely low prices. Chinese competitors can sell panels at such low prices because their cost of capital is so low.