It’s not just the U.S.—China is also eating Germany’s solar lunch

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Germany has more installed solar capacity than any other country on the planet, despite having a population of only 80 million people. You'd think that would be enough to drive a market for domestic solar production, but only if you lived under a globalization-proof rock and ate steaming bowls of naivete for breakfast.

Der Spiegel sums it up:

Green energy used to be Germany's great hope for its economic future. But now the German solar industry is in trouble amid huge losses, job cuts and the threat of bankruptcies. Chinese firms are gaining an ever greater share of the German market -- and are benefiting from German subsidies for renewable energy.

Gee, it's like we've heard this tune before.

straight to the source

• The Sun Rises in the East, WindSector
• The Sun Rises in the East, Der Spiegel

[mawilson 2,133]

Isn't everything made in China nowadays? Why is it surprising that solar panels are made in China too?

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Time to bomb China. We could use the blatant human rights violations and Tibet as a reason, and the fact that they have weapons of mass destruction, of course.

[mawilson 2,133]

Time to bomb China. We could use the blatant human rights violations and Tibet as a reason, and the fact that they have weapons of mass destruction, of course.

Isn't it easier to just buy Chinese-made solar panels? Probably the only thing that actually makes sense to make in China - energy. Energy should be as cheap as possible.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Isn't it easier to just buy Chinese-made solar panels? Probably the only thing that actually makes sense to make in China - energy. Energy should be as cheap as possible.

You have have to ask why. Is it because China effectively shutdown rare earth metal production world-wide? Its been a stealthy economic war.

If people want to blame the US for Pearl Harbor, then China will be blamed for the coming war. There will be a tipping point pretty soon and I feel like the whole world is going to pile on - from Europe, to Japan, to the US.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Sousuke