[ExI] Bosch exits Solar business in Germany

[Kelly Anderson]

On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 8:46 AM, Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:
> On Sat, Mar 23, 2013 at 09:29:16AM -0800, Keith Henson wrote:
>> "German engineering company Bosch said Friday that it is abandoning
>> its solar energy business, because there is no way to make it
>> economically viable.'We have considered the latest technological
>> advances, cost-reduction potential and strategic alignment, and there
>> have also been talks with potential partners,' Bosch CEO Volkmar
>> Denner said. 'However, none of these possibilities resulted in a
>> solution for the solar energy division that would be economically
>> viable over the long term.'"
>>
>> http://phys.org/news/2013-03-bosch-abandon-solar-energy-business.html
>
> If you've looked at the the last 3 years of PV growth world wide
> the growth was flat, i.e. no longer accelerating. As Europe
> (Germany and Italy) stay at constant deployment rate, and the
> rest of the world is not yet capable to pick up the slack
> this will obviously cause massive consolidation, even in
> the Far East.
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/business/energy-environment/chinese-solar-companys-operating-unit-declares-bankruptcy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
>
> That is a far more interesting story than Bosch exiting
> the field.

Bosch exiting the field is probably just a reflection of advancing
technologies in the USA and decreased labor costs in China. The
Germans should stick with doing what they do best, big complicated
things like roller coasters, wind nacelles and cars and the like.

Globally, solar will do fine over the long term, even if some
companies bow out. Look at the history of cars... in the teens, there
were over a 100 car manufacturers in Indiana alone. Some consolidation
has to occur for global efficiency.

-Kelly