Solar Energy Companies

As demand for solar power grows, so does the number of solar energy companies. These days there is a huge variety of businesses focused on developing, manufacturing and providing solar energy and they are to be found all over the country – and the world. Government plays an important role to foster the adoption of solar power and the growth of solar power companies through fiscal incentives, rebates and feed-in tariffs, which means users can sell excessive electricity generated by solar and other renewable back to the grid.

China has played an increasing role in the sector. The proliferation of Chinese solar panel manufacturers has made prices go down more than 50 per cent to around $1.50 a watt. Solar energy companies specialized in auxiliary equipment also have seen prices drop to the $3.50-a-watt range. All in all solar arrays are costing half as much as they did not so long ago.

The U.S. is home to some major solar energy companies, such as First Solar, a photovoltaic manufacturer that in 2009 reached 1100 MW manufacturing capacity. However, most of the company’s modules are manufactured in Asia. The same happens with Evergreen Solar, another major player which has outsourced its production to China. This is a pattern that repeats itself across the globe as China becomes a global clean energy leader.

Like IT players in the 1990s, solar energy companies tend to outsource panel assembly and other production. For example, SunPower contracted Flextronics International to produce 75MW of panels annually for the company. Several other companies follow the same outsourcing route. Solar energy companies have also become fixtures in the investment sector. Some solar energy companies are publicly traded but their stocks are still relatively risky and volatile. Some believe they will pay off in the long run; therefore the best bet is to get professional advice from investment companies with a focus on clean technologies.