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The Top 10 Clean-Tech Companies

Colleen Debaise — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:00:34 +0000

Companies that make everything from solar panels to renewable-crude oil continue to be big draws for funding from the venture-capital community.

But a company that rewards consumers for recycling led The Wall Street Journal’s second-annual ranking of venture-backed clean-tech companies.

Recyclebank, which provides recycling-rewards programs in 29 states and the U.K., has had a growth spurt since its 2004 launch. In October, the New York-based company brought on Jonathan Hsu, former head of onliine ad firm 24/7 Real Media, as its chief executive.

Two solar-power firms, Suniva Inc. of Norcross, Ga., and eSolar Inc. of Burbank, Calif., came in second and third, respectively.

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For Panasonic, It's Not Easy Being Green

Juro Osawa — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:00:08 +0000

In its drive to reshape itself around the so-called green technology theme, Panasonic is caught in a tough balancing act.

The Japanese electronics giant is trying to shift more resources into environment-related businesses such as rechargeable batteries and solar panels. Yet nearly half of its revenue still comes from the audiovisual segment, consisting mainly of televisions. Also complicating the situation is the fact that its TVs aren’t making money.

Pressured by competition from South Korean rivals in traditional gadgets and appliances, Panasonic late last year acquired smaller Japanese electronics maker Sanyo Electric.

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Solar Panel Makers Seek Local Ties

Jerry A. Dicolo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:48:40 +0000

Solar panel makers, taking cues from industrial products like Trane air-conditioners and Andersen windows, are racing to roll-out networks of installers across the U.S. and internationally as they try to establish their brands in the residential market.

SunPower Corp. (SPWRB), Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP) and others are enlisting hundreds of locally-owned installers with partnerships that offer training, sales support and help with marketing and advertising.

With the dealer networks, the manufacturers hope to build brand awareness in what many see as a commodity product. But the moves come as solar-panel manufacturers battle weak demand due to the recession and an oversupply of panels.

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Half of Solar Firms to Fail, Analyst Says

Eric Savitz — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:04:03 +0000

Half of the existing solar manufacturers may not survive through the end of next year, according to the market research firm The Information Network, as reported by DigiTimes.

The piece said Information Network chief Robert Castellano believes “massive inventory buildup and huge overcapacity” are having a serious impact on solar panel manufacturers. The industry is up to 122 days of inventory, from an average 71 days in 2008, he reports. Capacity utilization in the industry is down to 27.9 percent, from 48 percent last year.

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First Solar: Bull and Bear Mull Q2 Upside, German Rebates

Tiernan Ray — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:25:55 +0000

It was a strange quarter for solar panel maker First Solar (FSLR) last night. The company reiterated its forecast for 2009 revenue, which was probably expected, but it also beat Q2 revenue, leaving some disappointed with the lack of upside for the rest of the year. Moreover, the big issue on the call, the decision by the company to offer rebates in Germany is paradoxical given that it was $84 million in revenue from Germany, analysts say, that helped the company beat Q2 expectations. Do the rebates signal a continuing threat of price erosion and stalled customers as First Solar competitors cut their prices?

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Stormy Day for Solar Stocks; Too Many Panel Makers?

Eric Savitz — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:04:20 +0000

Solar stocks are having another rough day, one which looks all that much worse with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up well over 200 points. A number of analysts this morning wrote notes on their trips to the recent European solar conference in Valencia, Spain. There were no bombshells that I found; but there does seem to be some concern about the pricing outlook for 2009, as Reuters noted today.

Richard Keiser, technology strategist at Bernstein Research, wrote this morning that an “astounding number” of solar panel companies demonstrated products at the show–and offered aggressive expansion plans. He says that suggests fears of commoditization and oversupply “are well founded.”

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