The Markets
One problem with the the solar cell industry is that the production of photovoltaic solar panels is reliant on relatively expensive materials such as copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride. To compound the problem, as these natural resources become depleted their cost will only rise. Electricity from even the most commercially viable solar cells is already five times the price of that from coal plants making it less economically sound and less likely to be adopted on a large scale.
The solar power industry is, therefore, turning to cheaper alternatives such as pyrite and copper oxide. For example engineers at Berkeley have created solar cells using cheap copper oxide and zinc oxide. These prototype cells are inefficient compared to their more expensive counterparts, but their low cost means they only need to produce a third as much power to become commercially viable.*
I am following these solar stocks, given here with symbols, 52-week high, 52-week low, and current price: CSIQ, 51/3/6.90; CSUN, 15/1.30/3; SOLR, 17/0.88/7.30; TSL, 54/5.60/16; YGE, 28/2.50/7.40; and FSLR, 317/85/180.
All solar stocks spiked higher yesterday on good earnings news from FSLR. The company reported EPS of $1.99/sh., blowing past the expected $1.50/sh.
Wind turbine companies are reportedly struggling as the price of oil declines and resistance from homeowners (would you want one in your backyard?), birders (they are working on ways to prevent birds from being chopped up by the turbines) and, oddly, environmentalists. This same fate probably won’t await solar companies as innovation continues to streamline the panels. And, as material costs decline.
*Greeninovation.com.uk
