Nick Hodge's Solar Energy 101, Solar Power primer

Props to Nick and all over at Energy & Capital for their consistent insights into global energy and resource trends. Here's an excellent article that originally appeared on the Energy & Capital website, and in Nick's newsletter.

Solar Power for Dummies

By Nick Hodge | Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

The headlines say it all...

Total (NYSE: TOT) Pays $1.4 Billion for Stake in SunPower

Army/Marines Charge Critical Equipment With Solar Panels

Google Invests $280 Million in SolarCity

Solar Market Tops $70 Billion in 2010

In only a few years' time, the solar market has gone from “That stuff'll never work” to a billion-dollar acquisition target of the biggest oil companies in the world.

At the turn of the century the world only had 1.4 gigawatts (GWs) of installed solar capacity.

By the end of last year 40.7 GW had been installed – a growth of 2,752%.

Oil didn't do that. Coal didn't do that. Nuclear didn't do that.

Most of the growth has come from Europe – particularly Germany with 17 GW – which boasts over 75% of all installed solar worldwide.

Their head start can be attributed to attractive policies the U.S. failed to embrace. But falling prices, as you'll soon see, will mean the spread and mass adoption of solar in the next few years.

Reaching Scale

All technologies are more expensive in the beginning.

I paid $1,300 for a 42” flatscreen TV in 2006. You can get one today for $450.

Solar is the same way.

Panels cost $60 per watt in the mid 1970s. Today the price is down to $1.50 per watt.


Mass production reduces solar energy costs

Just like similar industries – circuit boards, for example – costs will continue to fall with volume. For every doubling of solar manufacturing capacity, costs fall about 20%.

In some markets solar is already cheaper than grid electricity. And as more and more solar is installed, the costs will only fall further.

We're at a point now where solar installations are growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 65%.

Slightly more than 17 GWs were installed last year alone.

And as SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWRA) founder and chief technology officer Tom Dinwoodie (the man who just sold a majority stake of his company to Total for $1.4 billion) puts it:

That 17 gigawatts installed in 2010 is the equivalent of 17 nuclear power plants -- manufactured, shipped, and installed in one year. It can take decades just to install a nuclear plant. Think about that. I heard Bill Gates recently call solar "cute." Well, that's 17 gigawatts of "cute" adding up at an astonishing pace.

We'll still need nuclear baseload power to be sure. The point here is twofold.

Solar is being installed on a nuclear scale but much faster.

We've reached the point where increased installation rates and falling prices are feeding off each other.



Forecasts for Solar Power Growth

Between now and 2020, solar installations will double almost three times. Check out how that looks graphically:

Global Installed Solar Capacity 2000-2020

Germany will continue to dominate the market for the next few years, with the U.S. expected to come on strong in the second half of the decade.

China, Italy, Japan, Australia, Canada, and Spain are other countries to watch for coming installation growth.

But, at least as it stands right now, there's only one country to watch for when it comes to the actual production of solar equipment – not just the installation.


Solar Energy Industry - Global Leaders

In the early oughts Germany was by far the solar production leader. But as always happens in the manufacturing industry, China was quick to enter and dominate the game.

Though Europe is still the installation leader, China owns a majority of the production – as much as 60% by some estimates.

And for the first time last year, half of the largest solar companies in the world were Chinese. Though the list may vary slightly depending on the source, here's the current list along with 2010 shipments:

Suntech (NYSE: STP), 1,572 MW

JA Solar (NASDAQ: JASO), 1,464 MW

First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR)

Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE), 1,062

Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL), 1,057

Motech (TAIWAN: 6244), 924 MW

Q-Cell (XETRA: QCE), 907 MW

Gintech (TAIWAN: 3514), 827 MW

Sharp (Other OTC: SHCAY), 774 MW

Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ), 588 MW

I know I've thrown a lot at you today, but a thorough solar update was long overdue. And in addition to future editorial and our paid services, this should serve as a good base for anyone looking to start investing in solar.

For more information, I've just recorded a short white-board video about materials of the future. It covers new solar materials that'll be used in the next few years, as well as new types of battery and rare earth technologies.

We'll start posting videos like this once a week to help you better capitalize on the topics we cover in daily e-letters.

Call it like you see it,


Nick

Wikipedia's list of global clean energy stocks

Best green power companies - Worldwide renewable energy companies

The list from wikipedia consists of companies whose primary produce is either renewable energy or renewable energy products and services. Public renewable energy companies are listed by stock exchange and symbol.

Company Exchange Symbol IPO Industry

Abengoa, SA BMAD ABG - Solar thermal

Aleo solar FWB AS1 2006 Photovoltaics

Alternative Energy, LTD LSE ALR 2003 Renewables

Americas Wind Energy Corporation OTC AWNE 2006 Wind

Anwell Technologies SGX G5X 2004 Photovoltaics

Applied Solar, INC NASDAQ - 2005 Photovoltaics

Ascent Solar Technologies, INC NASDAQ ASTI 2006 Photovoltaics

Aventine Renewable Energy NYSE AVR - Bioenergy

Ballard Power Systems NASDAQ BLDP 1995 Fuel Cell

Canadian Solar, INC NASDAQ CSIQ 2006 Photovoltaics

Centrosolar Group, AG FWB C3O 2005 Photovoltaics

Ceramic Fuel Cells, LTD ASX CFU 2004 Fuel Cells

China Power New Energy HKSE 0735 1999 Wind/Hydro/Biomass

China Sunergy Co, LTD NASDAQ CSUN 2007 Photovoltaics

Clipper Windpower, PLC LSE CWP 2005 Wind

Comtec Solar Systems HKSE 712 2009 Photovoltaics

Conergy, AG FWB CGY - Photovoltaics

Clenergen Corporation, OTC CRGE - Biomass

DayStar Technologies, INC NASDAQ DSTI 2004 Photovoltaics

DelSolar Co, LTD GTSM 3599 - Photovoltaics

Dyesol, LTD ASX DYE 2005 Photovoltaics

Eaga, PLC LSE EAGA 2007 Energy Efficiency

Enbridge, INC TSX ENB 1957 Wind, Solar, Fuel Cell, Geothermal

Energy Conversion Devices, INC NASDAQ ENER 1993 Photovoltaics

E-ton Solar Technology Co, LTD TSE 3452 - Photovoltaics

Evergreen Solar, INC NASDAQ ESLR 2000 Photovoltaics

EnviroMission, LTD ASX EVM 2005 Solar Thermal

EDP Renováveis, SA BVLP EDPR 2007 Wind [1]

Finavera Renewables, INC TSX-V FVR 2006 Renewables

First American Scientific Corp. OTCBB FASC 1995 Biomass

First Solar Holding, LLC NASDAQ FSLR 2007 Photovoltaics

Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica BMAD GAM 2000 Wind

Gintech Energy Corporation TSE 3514 2007 Photovoltaics

Good Energy Group, PLC LSE GEGP - Renewables

Green Energy Holding Corporation OTC GEYO 2007 Renewables

Green Plains Renewable Energy, INC NASDAQ GPRE 2007 Ethanol Quote

GT Solar International, INC NASDAQ SOLR 2008 Solar Mfg Equipment

Iberdrola Renovables, SA BMAD IBR December 2007 Wind, Solar, Biomass

Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. TSX INE 2007 Renewables

JA Solar Holdings Co, LTD NASDAQ JASO 2007 Photovoltaics

Kedco PLC AIM KED 2008 Bio Energy

Jetion Solar Holdings LTD AIM JHL 2007 Photovoltaics

LDK Solar Co, LTD NYSE LDK 2007 Photovoltaics

Mass Megawatts Wind Power OTC MMGW 2001 Wind

Motech Industries Inc. TSE 6244 2003 Photovoltaics

Neo Solar Power Corporation TSE 3576 2008 Photovoltaics

Nevada Geothermal Power, INC OTC NGLPF 2005 Geothermal

Nordex, AG FWB NDX 2001 Wind

Phoenix Solar, AG FWB PS4 2004 Photovoltaics

PV Crystalox Solar, PLC LSE PVCS 2007 Photovoltaics

Q-Cells, AG FWB QCE - Photovoltaics

Ram Power, Corp. RPG RPG - Geothermal

ReneSolar, LTD AIM SOL 2007 Photovoltaics

Renewable Energy Corp, ASA OSX REC 2006 Photovoltaics

Renewable Energy Generation, LTD LSE RWE 2005 Renewables

Renewable Energy Holdings, PLC LSE REH 2005 Renewables

Renewable Energy Resources, INC OTC RWER 2008 Hydro

Renewagy, AS OMX REN - Renewables

REpower Systems, AG FWB RPW 2006 Wind

Run of River Power Inc. TSX-V ROR 2005 Hydro

S.A.G. Solarstrom, AG FWB SAG - Photovoltaics

Solar-Fabrik, AG FWB SFX - Photovoltaics

Solarfun Power Holdings Co, LTD NASDAQ SOLF 2006 Photovoltaics

SolarWorld, AG FWB SWV - Photovoltaics

Solco, LTD ASX SOO 2000 Solar Thermal

SunPower Corporation NASDAQ SPWR 2005 Photovoltaics

Suntech Power NYSE STP 2005 Photovoltaics

Tiger Renewable Energy, LTD OTC TGRW - Ethanol

Trina Solar, LTD NASDAQ TSL 2006 Photovoltaics

Verenium Corporation NASDAQ VRNM - Biofuels

Vestas Wind Systems, AS OMX VWS - Wind

WaterFurnace Renewable Energy, Inc. TSX WFI 2001 Geothermal

Western Wind Energy Corp. TSX-V WND 2001 Wind

Windflow Technology, LTD NZAX WTL 2001 Wind

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co, LTD NYSE YGE 2007 Photovoltaics


Full Wikipedia list of green power companies with links to stock quotes and financials

Green energy stocks up at mid-day; Solar power shining

Clean Power technology stocks on the rise

At the time of writing, the Dow Jones is up 64 and NASDAQ is up 18, with many renewable power companies up 2% to 6% so far today. Here are prices at about 12.50 pm, Tuesday March 29, 2011:


Name Symbol Last price Change▲

Active Power, Inc. ACPW 2.88 +0.21 (7.87%)

ReneSola Ltd. (ADR) SOL 9.95 +0.57 (6.08%)

Sharp Corporation (ADR) SHCAY 9.73* +0.56 (6.11%)

FuelCell Energy, Inc. FCEL 2.14 +0.10 (4.90%)

Broadwind Energy Inc. BWEN 1.35 +0.05 (3.85%)

American Superconductor... AMSC 24.36 +0.78 (3.30%)

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. CLNE 14.92 +0.42 (2.90%)

First Solar, Inc. FSLR 156.68 +3.40 (2.22%)