Chinese solar company buys huge New York complex for Solar panel manufacturing, will hire 1000 peopl

Re: Chinese solar company buys huge New York complex for Solar panel manufacturing, will hire 1000 p

Over the next few years you should see some less labor-intensive manufacturing return to the USA. The weak dollar, rising labor costs and higher transportation costs mean the cost differential has narrowed and manufacturing in the market country gives better price stability.

I do find it surprising in solar, a very competitive industry that's seen dramatic price drops, but this seems to be something of a special case, since they're buying an old IBM chip factory. They also have the government sweeteners to tip the balance.

 

Re: Chinese solar company buys huge New York complex for Solar panel manufacturing, will hire 1000 p

I am not sure if that's a good move for them. Regulation here in US could be a big cost factor which is unpredictable. On the other hand, $4.5 million is nothing for them anyway, so they took the chance.

 

Re: Chinese solar company buys huge New York complex for Solar panel manufacturing, will hire 1000 p

yeh, the US put 0.5 B$ into a solar startup and it failed and China put 30 B$ into starting up their solar manufacturing effort and it succeeded and dropped the price for panels so low our manufacturing facilities could not make a profit. Is the lesson not to put US$ into startup new technologies, or is it that we don't put enough government funding into the startups that will be making future jobs for our people ?

 

Re: Chinese solar company buys huge New York complex for Solar panel manufacturing, will hire 1000 p

half a billion dollars to build a shiny factory that is now vacant, no appreciable green energy, no real permanent jobs from the first in a US program. Chinese program has pushed the price of solar down, so that more solar gets used in china and america, and its going to create 1000 real jobs and renovate a vacant factory in new york. It seems the chinese investment is producing better results for the united states than the american program.

Note it makes sense from a PR point of view to built them here. It probably makes economic sense also, as it reduces shipping delays and costs.