By: NATALIE OBIKO PEARSON, Three US solar firms including Solyndra have gone bankrupt this year and more have slashed sales forecasts, with German company agreeing to takeover. MOST of the biggest manufacturers of solar equipment may disappear in the next few years as plunging prices erode margins and drive the weakest out of business, according to Trina Solar, the fifth-largest supplier of solar panels.This is the decade of mergers and acquisitions," Jifan Gao, CEO of China-based Trina, said this week. "From now until 2015 is the first phase, when about two-thirds of the players will be shaken out."Three US solar companies including Solyndra have gone bankrupt this year and more, led by First Solar and Yingli Green Energy Holding, slashed sales and margin forecasts, reflecting slower growth in demand and stiffer competition. SunPower and Roth & Rau of Germany have agreed to takeovers.BusinessDay - Future of solar is fewer big manufacturers
Monday, 5 December 2011
Future of solar is fewer big manufacturers
By: NATALIE OBIKO PEARSON, Three US solar firms including Solyndra have gone bankrupt this year and more have slashed sales forecasts, with German company agreeing to takeover. MOST of the biggest manufacturers of solar equipment may disappear in the next few years as plunging prices erode margins and drive the weakest out of business, according to Trina Solar, the fifth-largest supplier of solar panels.This is the decade of mergers and acquisitions," Jifan Gao, CEO of China-based Trina, said this week. "From now until 2015 is the first phase, when about two-thirds of the players will be shaken out."Three US solar companies including Solyndra have gone bankrupt this year and more, led by First Solar and Yingli Green Energy Holding, slashed sales and margin forecasts, reflecting slower growth in demand and stiffer competition. SunPower and Roth & Rau of Germany have agreed to takeovers.BusinessDay - Future of solar is fewer big manufacturers