Latest news with #solarindustry
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Swiss solar panel maker Meyer Burger files for insolvency for German subsidiaries
May 31 (Reuters) - Swiss solar panel maker Meyer Burger (MBTN.S), opens new tab filed for insolvency for its German subsidiaries, the company said in a statement on Saturday.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China achieves milestone in renewable energy transition
China has set a new benchmark in its transition to renewable energy, with wind and solar power sources generating 26% of the nation's electricity in April 2025. The achievement marks the highest monthly share to date, as reported by global energy think tank Ember. In April 2025, China's renewable energy sector saw both wind and solar power reach individual record high contributions to the country's electricity generation. Wind power was responsible for a 13.6% share, while solar power made up 12.4%. The surge in solar energy has been particularly notable, with its share tripling from 4.1% in April 2020 to 12.4% in April 2025. The acceleration of solar capacity installations has been a key driver behind this growth. In 2024, China's new solar capacity exceeded the combined total of the rest of the world, with an increase from 103GW in 2022 to 333GW in 2024. Momentum continued into the first quarter of 2025, with an addition of 72GW, up 18% from the same period in the previous year. April 2025 also saw China achieve a new record in absolute solar generation, reaching 96 terawatt hours (TWh) and surpassing the previous high of 89TWh recorded in August 2024. With the onset of summer, this record is expected to be broken yet again as solar output is further boosted. The shift towards renewable energy is also evident in the changing landscape of China's overall power generation mix. Fossil fuel generation declined by 72TWh, or 3.6%, year-on-year in the first four months of 2025, indicating a structural transformation in progress. The significance of these developments is underscored by the context of climate urgency. With 2024 the hottest year on record and breaching the internationally agreed 1.5°C increase threshold, China's energy transition is at a critical juncture. Ember's report suggests that while the country's expansion of renewable capacity has laid the groundwork for clean electricity to meet future demand, further progress will depend on advancements in other areas such as smart grids, energy storage and the clean electrification of industry. Ember Asia analyst Biqing Yang stated: 'China has marked consistent milestones over the past year and into the beginning of this year, driven by record growth in renewables. For the first time, wind and solar are generating over a quarter of the country's electricity. Yet challenges remain in managing the variability of renewables and accelerating decarbonisation across the end-use sectors. Continued power system reform efforts and institutional development are essential to sustain this momentum.' China's clean energy investments in 2024 reached 6.8tn yuan ($940bn), nearing the scale of the $1.12tn global investment in fossil fuels, according to a new analysis by UK-based Carbon Brief. "China achieves milestone in renewable energy transition" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jefferies Raises First Solar (FSLR) Price Target to $157
It was recently reported that analysts at Jefferies have updated the price target for First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) to $157. Let's shed some light on the development. A solar panel farm with an orange sky illuminating the vast landscape. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) is a leading American solar technology company and global provider of responsibly produced eco-efficient solar modules. FSLR is unique among the ten largest solar manufacturers in the world for being the only US-based company and not manufacturing in China. On May 22, 2025, Jefferies analyst Julian Dumoulin-Smith updated the price target for First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) from $127 to $157, while maintaining a Hold rating on the stock. The revised outlook comes as a result of of the potential impacts of the House bill, which includes restrictions under the Foreign Energy Output Credit (FEOC). Moreover, the analyst mentions that with the Anti-Dumping/Countervailing Duties (AD/CVD) endorsed by the ITC, there could be an increased demand for First Solar's modules as developers might seek to safe harbor ahead of policy changes. It must be mentioned that First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) had a tough start to the year 2025, as its Q1 EPS of $1.95 missed expectations by a hefty $0.6. The company's revenue of $844.57 million, though in-line with market estimates, was also down sharply from $1.5 billion in Q4 2024, primarily due to 'an anticipated seasonal reduction in the volume of modules sold.' That said, First Solar boasts one of the strongest balance sheets in the solar industry, with $0.4 billion in net cash at the end of the first quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of FSLR to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than FSLR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Cheap Energy Stocks to Buy Now and 10 Most Undervalued Energy Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jefferies Raises First Solar (FSLR) Price Target to $157
It was recently reported that analysts at Jefferies have updated the price target for First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) to $157. Let's shed some light on the development. A solar panel farm with an orange sky illuminating the vast landscape. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) is a leading American solar technology company and global provider of responsibly produced eco-efficient solar modules. FSLR is unique among the ten largest solar manufacturers in the world for being the only US-based company and not manufacturing in China. On May 22, 2025, Jefferies analyst Julian Dumoulin-Smith updated the price target for First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) from $127 to $157, while maintaining a Hold rating on the stock. The revised outlook comes as a result of of the potential impacts of the House bill, which includes restrictions under the Foreign Energy Output Credit (FEOC). Moreover, the analyst mentions that with the Anti-Dumping/Countervailing Duties (AD/CVD) endorsed by the ITC, there could be an increased demand for First Solar's modules as developers might seek to safe harbor ahead of policy changes. It must be mentioned that First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) had a tough start to the year 2025, as its Q1 EPS of $1.95 missed expectations by a hefty $0.6. The company's revenue of $844.57 million, though in-line with market estimates, was also down sharply from $1.5 billion in Q4 2024, primarily due to 'an anticipated seasonal reduction in the volume of modules sold.' That said, First Solar boasts one of the strongest balance sheets in the solar industry, with $0.4 billion in net cash at the end of the first quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of FSLR to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than FSLR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 10 Cheap Energy Stocks to Buy Now and 10 Most Undervalued Energy Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds Disclosure: None.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Just how many jobs and GDP dollars do US clean energy factories create?
American manufacturing has already surged in the clean energy sector, bringing with it significant economic rewards. That's the main takeaway from a census of U.S. clean energy factories, published today by the American Clean Power Association trade group. The report identifies 200 operating across 38 states as of early 2025. The production of solar panels leads the count with at least 90 facilities. About 65 factories are making batteries, while a smaller number produce equipment for onshore and offshore wind. A broader population of over 800 facilities plays a supporting role in the clean energy supply chain, manufacturing materials and subcomponents that turn the solar panels and batteries into full-fledged power plants. Those facilities already contribute 122,000 jobs and create $33 billion of economic activity annually, which includes earnings, goods and services produced, and payments to supporting industries, ACP found. Notably, 73% of these factories operate in what the report describes as 'Republican states' (as determined by presidential vote). That economic impact could grow to $164 billion by 2030 if the currently planned and announced factories come to fruition. The report came out as ACP met for its annual conference in Phoenix, but the intended audience includes the Republican members of Congress who will soon vote on cuts to the slew of tax credits underpinning this factory buildout. The report asserts that the burgeoning cleantech factory sector could 'be the foundation for American energy dominance that is built by Americans for Americans.' 'We have seen a tremendous amount of momentum over just even the past couple of years in clean energy manufacturing growth,' MJ Shiao, ACP's vice president of supply chain and manufacturing, said on a press call Friday. 'With stable tax and stable trade policy, we can really continue to amplify, grow that momentum.' Clean energy leaders have spent the months since the November election hoping that the sheer economic dynamism their factories inject into Republican congressional districts could overcome President Donald Trump's desire to unravel Joe Biden's legacies. It didn't help that the Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, with its many highly targeted tax credits for clean energy deployment and manufacturing, on a party-line vote. But enough Republican representatives publicly argued against a wholesale repeal of the credits to give cleantech insiders hope. Indeed, the House Ways and Means Committee declined to eradicate the credits entirely in its budget proposal from last week. But the proposed tweaks to many of the individual programs narrow their scope and could render them wholly unworkable nonetheless. 'If they are implemented as currently drafted, which we certainly hope they are not, we will see factories shutting down,' Shiao said. 'We will see these American manufacturers have to lay people off, and we will see them having to tell their local business partners that they no longer have the opportunity to work with them.' In that light, the ACP report reads as a tabulation of what the country could miss out on if policy changes underway in Washington bring the onshoring trend to a staggering halt. The manufacturing job count could grow to 579,000 by 2030 if the other announced factory projects get built and come online. Total job count doesn't confirm how desirable the work is, but these jobs happen to pay quite well, especially solar manufacturing salaries, which averaged $134,000 in 2024. A Canary Media visit to the enormous QCells solar factory in Dalton, Georgia, last year showed why this work pays more than traditional manufacturing. The brand-new factories leverage considerable automation and robotic assistance for the heavy lifting and repetitive, high-precision tasks. Workers patrolled the lines and intervened when the machinery needed help. That greater output of an in-demand, high-tech product supported considerably higher pay than the carpet factories down the road. 'This is not our parents' generation's manufacturing,' Shiao said. 'There is automation, there is robotics, there is AI in these facilities. And that's a good thing, because these are high-tech, high-skill opportunities that are being brought into some of these communities that are really eager to find ways to keep their best, keep their brightest in the places that they grow up in.' Across cleantech factories, annual earnings from clean energy manufacturing averaged $118,000, the study found, well above the average U.S. worker's pay of $76,000. It's not just immediate employees who benefit, though. First comes the intensive but temporary construction phase. Once complete, the factories create additional work for support services in the region, such as shipping and delivery companies, food vendors, hotels for visiting customers, and waste disposal. Domestic manufacturing also relies on other component suppliers: Utility-scale solar panels sit on American steel trackers, covered in U.S.-made solar glass. The authors calculate that each job in a clean energy factory leads to three more in supporting industries. This reality sounds a lot like the vision that Trump campaigned on last year, of growing jobs at home by restoring U.S. manufacturing from the ravages of globalization. He also repeatedly emphasizes a desire to secure more critical minerals for the U.S.; clean energy technologies provide much of the expected demand growth for those minerals. 'This administration talks a lot about an all-of-the-above energy strategy that facilitates American energy dominance,' Shiao said. 'I think there needs to continue to be that recognition that solar, wind, energy storage are key pieces and critical pieces to realizing that growth, certainly in terms of the speed at which those projects can be deployed.' The Ways and Means budget proposal dealt a blow to the cleantech industry's hopes for a predictable investment landscape. It was also the opening volley of a weekslong negotiating process that will soon involve the Senate as well. Amid all that uncertainty, ACP has at least provided some fresh numbers on the value clean energy factories have created in their short moment of ascendancy, as well as helped clarify what's at stake. 'We think we've got a winning message, one that is bringing positivity, and of course, economic growth to the country,' said John Hensley, ACP's senior vice president of markets and policy analysis. 'We're going to continue to tell that story, and hopefully it lands on ears that are willing to listen.'
