Evergreen Solar Inc.
Stirling Energy Systems Inc., founded in 1996, succumbed last week to a variety of pressures mounting industry-wide, beginning with a price war led by low-cost Chinese solar photovoltaics and topping out with a list of factors that led to bankruptcy filings for the once thriving solar thermal innovator.
It was another underwhelming week for the stock markets, with the broad markets and broad clean energy indices all losing ground over the five days.
The only strongly positive clean energy sector was wind power and technology, with the EnergyBoom Wind Subindex (E•B Wind) increasing 1.35% and the First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN) climbing 0.90%. Biggest loser was the solar power and technology sector, with the EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar) falling 7.34% and the Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) dropping 6.27%.
The broad stock market indices all had lacklustre weeks, apparently bothered by ongoing worries about the Greek economy and a meeting of Euro-zone finance ministers scheduled for Monday. Nevertheless, the broader markets managed to outperform the clean energy and energy efficiency indices this week, with the biggest exception being the EnergyBoom Biofuel Subindex (E•B Biofuel) which ended the week up 2.48%.
Shares of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar module products company Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTI) closed up 6% today but is down 35% since announcing March 31 that it was changing its target market from buildings to specialty markets. Other changes include a new CEO and resizing to cut costs.
Solar panel manufacturer Evergreen Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESLR) (NASDAQ: ESLRD), based in Marlboro, Massachusetts, said yesterday it was closing its nearby Devens manufacturer plant and laying off 800 employees by the end Q1 2011 because it can’t compete with low-cost Chinese manufacturers.
EBOOM CAPITAL reported on Saturday that GT Solar International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOLR) was the fourth best performing company in the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index (E•B Clean 100) last week. Here are two other critical pieces of information about GT Solar.
First, the company’s shares have appreciated head and shoulders above other U.S.-based solar companies during 2010 -- up 43 percent so far this year. In fact, among the seven U.S. companies in the EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar), GT Solar is the only company in positive territory.
U.S. venture capital investment in cleantech companies in Q3 fell 55 percent in capital invested and 22 percent in number of deals, compared with Q3 2009, according to accounting and consulting firm Ernst & Young.
A fruit orchard on the east coast of the United States is using the sun to grow fruit and provide power to the farm.
The overall market indices and the sector ETFs tell a mildly depressing and boring story of solar companies underperforming the overall equity markets so far this year, but a closer look reveals a dramatic contrast between spectacular winners and hapless losers.
The winners include:
