Renewable Energy
During their operation, solar photovoltaic systems emit
no carbon dioxide, the main gas responsible for global climate change
the EU launches an anti-dumping investigation, then it is not just China that will experience negative consequences, the photovoltaic indus- try in Europe will inevitably suffer considerably. The EU solar industry provides employment for around 300,000 people, with more than 80% employed in upstream and downstream indus- tries such as raw material suppliers, equipment manufacturing, system design, installation and project financing. The Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy, a group comprising Chinese com- panies and other Western firms that benefit from cheap solar modules, has criticised SolarWorld’s actions, saying that a trade war would result in job losses and hurt the consumer by driving up prices.
Founded in 2001, New York Stock Ex-
change-listed Suntech is the world’s largest pro- ducer of silicon solar modules for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications. With regional headquarters in China, Switzer- land, and the US, Suntech has delivered more than 13,000,000 photovoltaic panels to over a 1,000 customers in more than 80 countries. With 75% of all connected capacity and approxi- mately 75% of global installed capacity, the Eu- ropean market seems to be the future of this rapidly growing industry, and Suntech is at its forefront.
Jerry Stokes, president of Suntech Europe, says that his company bought about €600m worth of equipment and raw materials from Eu- ropean suppliers over the last two years. Stokes believes that "protectionist measures would in- crease the cost of solar energy in Europe and delay the transition from fossil fuels to renew- able energy. Tariffs would also destroy thousands of jobs in the European solar industry." He hopes that the European Union will forego any protec- tionist measures and avoid a misguided trade war that would undermine years of progress.
01. Photovoltaic panels. New European Economy 45
With China being the market leader in terms of production and the latest developments in the photovoltaic industry, customers would do well to deal with Chinese companies like Suntech. The performance of Suntech's industry-leading solar panels, under all light and weather condi- tions, makes solar a viable energy solution al- most everywhere under the sun. Coupled with strong government incentives to boost market growth, solar power will provide an attractive return on investment, to both commercial and private customers in the UK.
Boston Council in Lincolnshire recently in- stalled solar panels on the first new council houses to be built in Lincoln for 20 years. It also placed panels on the roof of a local leisure com- plex at a cost of about £105,000. The investment is expected to recover its costs within nine years and generate a profit of at least £260,000 over the next 25 years. Private homeowners can make comparable savings by installing solar panels. Moreover, energy suppliers such as British Gas pay for any excess electricity gen- erated if it’s fed back into the national grid.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124