Shell Bails On Old Solar Business: Is It Good News Or Bad?
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 12.12.07
Shell, is reported to have sold off most of its long-held solar businesses, affecting both US and Asian operations.
But at a time when interest in solar power is greater than ever, with the world's first "solar city" being built at Phoenix, Arizona, a small announcement from Environ Energy Global of Singapore revealed that it had bought Shell's photovoltaic operations in India and Sri Lanka, with more than 260 staff and 28 offices, for an undisclosed sum.The sell-off, to be followed by similar ones in the Philippines and Indonesia, comes after another major disposal executed in a low-key way last year, when Shell hived off its solar module production business. The division, with 600 staff and manufacturing plants in the US, Canada and Germany, went to Munich-based SolarWorld. Shell has however formed a manufacturing link, with Saint-Gobain, and promised to build one plant in Germany.
It's easy to point out the seeming hypocrisy of this move. But, think about what might lie behind the sell-off decision, strategically. Feedstock costs are skyrocketing under short supplies of amorphous silicon and more cost-efficient SPV technologies are ready for scale up. Long term, this could be a good sign. Shell makes states its strategic intentions explicitly here.
Another case of the media missing the forest for the trees, or at least putting up a half-truth headline? Perhaps.
Update::
Dear Editor, as I'm with SolarWorld, I found your article in today's clipping
service. I have some remarks:1. SolarWorld is based in Bonn, not in Munich
2. We own former Shell plants in the US (Camarillo, CA and
Vancouver, WA) and Germany – not in Canada.Kind regards,
Anne Schneider
SolarWorld California
PR & Marketing
4650 Adohr Lane
Camarillo, CA 93012Mobile: +1 805 4447425
Office: +1 805 3886285
Fax: +1 805 388 6395
a.schneider@solarworld-usa.com
Visit our new website: www.solarworld-usa.com!
Via::The Guardian, "Big Oil lets sun set on renewables"
This is good everything is energy alternative
It makes sense for Shell to sell off it's solar business. Seeing that Shell, like other oil companies, lobbies for more oil consumption and less solar use they'll be losing some revenue if they are successful. So the best is to lose none if they are successful and just get rid of their alternative energy segments.
If there press release is to be believed they are following in the same footsteps as Google (http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-5749586-7.html) by focusing in thin film technology.
Thin Film does seem to be the way of the future with solar. Higher yields per dollar spent means lower cost. Lower cost lead to higher adoption rates. Who ever ends up as the top two or three companies thin film solar cells will make quite a bit of money.
But there is the possibility that it is just a trend or will hit a technical snag that will make traditional solar panels still more viable.
Their website clearly states why they divested in the traditional silicon solar panel business.
If their words are true, they are just in time to get rid off the old technology and start investing heavily in CIGS.
So, I believe this is rather good news, because a huge player starts investing in thin film technologies.
Their website clearly states why they divested in the traditional silicon solar panel business.
If their words are true, they are just in time to get rid off the old technology and start investing heavily in CIGS.
So, I believe this is rather good news, because a huge player starts investing in thin film technologies.