Asia Report: Wind Espionage and a Solar Riot

A weekly roundup of news and analysis from September 12-19, 2011 across Asia.

Renewable Energy World Editors
September 19, 2011 | 8 Comments

Earlier this month, an American senator called on President Obama to hike taxes on solar panel imports coming from China. The move underscored what could be growing tension between Chinese and American companies often competing for the same dollar. The relationship may have gotten a bit rockier this past week as American Semiconductor accused Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Sinovel of industrial espionage. The Massachusetts company, which recently went through a large round of layoffs, says the Beijing firm hired someone to expose its technology.

AMSC Files Criminal, Commercial Complaints Against Sinovel

Espionage Case May Test Ties

THE WEEK AHEAD

The Solar Decathlon sets up shop this week on America’s National Mall in Washington, D.C. The biennial event draws collegiate teams from all over the United States, and various corners of the world. Team China from Togjii University has turned six shipping containers into a Y-shaped home. You can follow their progress at PlanetForward.com.

IN THE NEWS

Protest at Solar Factor: As many as 500 villagers in China’s Zhejiang province shut down JinkoSolar after three days of protests over pollution concerns. Demonstrators broke into offices and overturned cars over the death of a large number of fish in a local river.

But It's Not All Bad: JinkoSolar announced today that it plans to sponsor the San Francisco 49ers, which includes placing signage on the scoreboard, LED message boards and a prominent ribbon panel. The company will also have exclusive branding rights to Gate F in Candlestick Park, which will be known as “JinkoSolar Gate” for the duration of the season.

Wind in the Ashes of a Quake: Japanese government officials have announced plans to build six, 2-MW floating wind turbines off the Fukushima coast in a demonstration project that could draw in some of the nation’s biggest companies and perhaps lead to economic and technological advancement for the growing floating offshore wind turbine industry.

Suzlon Sees Strong Demand for Wind Energy in China: Wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy could begin exporting Chinese-assembled turbines as early as next year. With the company expecting about a 40-percent increase in global revenue this year, Suzlon is also seeking a Chinese joint-venture partner to produce large turbines in China for the Chinese market.

Indian Company Signs Deal with Chinese Polysilicon Maker: IndoSolar and GCL-Poly Energy Holdings agree to a 4-year, $2 billion deal as the India cell maker plans to boost its production to 1 GW by 2015.

China’s Solar Investment: U.S. Department of Energy Executive Director Jonathan Silver is under pressure for his department’s loan to now-bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra. But he also is making a point to U.S. lawmakers about how much support China gives to its solar industry. According to Silver, China’s investment is 20 times larger than the U.S. over the same period of time.

Offshore Off South Korea: South Korea is investing $8.4 billion to bring a 2.5 GW offshore wind development to its coast in a move that could benefit Hyundai and Samsung, and help them challenge Siemens and Vestas in the emerging offshore market.

WHERE THE GROWTH IS

Gassing Up on Energy: We all know China has a growing appetite for energy. For renewables, that has mostly meant wind, hydro and now solar. But the country is increasingly looking toward biofuels to quench its thirst.

Biodiesel Report: The Worldwatch Institute says that Asia produced 12 percent of the world’s biodiesel in 2010, a 20 percent jump from 2009. The region’s is led by palm oil production in Indonesia and Thailand.

Biomass Taking Root: Over the past five years, there have been nearly 800 biomass power plants that have come online worldwide, with a total capacity of 8,700 MW. According to a Fraunhofer-led study, Asia appears ready to surpass Europe over the next five years in the number of new plants and added capacity.

JAPAN’S FUTURE

A Man With a $26 Billion Plan: Masayoshi Son is Japan’s richest resident, and he’s thinking big with a proposal for a 1,200-mile long supergrid that would will deliver 60 percent of the country's energy needs from renewable sources

A Government Without a Plan?: Energy experts say that for Japan to truly replaces its nuclear capacity with renewable energy, the government needs to enact clear and ambitious targets. According to Reuters, Japan's trade and energy ministry is mulling setting the purchase price for renewable energy between 15 and 20 yen per kilowatt of electricity and the duration of purchases at 15 to 20 years.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Company Apologizes: "Zhejiang Jinko has always paid a great deal of attention to environmental issues and complies with and follows the state's relevant demands. In the course of doing so, this incident still happened, and we cannot shirk responsibility for the legal consequences which have come from management slips."

— Jing Zhaohui, Jinko Solar spokesman about water pollution associated with his company’s plant in China

BY THE NUMBERS

159: Gigawatts of total energy generation in India for a population of 1.1 billion. China has 1.3 billion residents, but has significantly more energy capacity at 860 GW. India is looking to solar and wind as a way to catch up.

53: Percentage increase of world energy consumption from 2008 to 2035, according to a new report. China and India are expected to lead the growth of new demand, and the mix of renewables is projected to grow from 10 percent in 2008 to 15 percent in 2035.

$100 million: Size of Asian Development Bank loan to build a substation and smart grid transmission lines that would support a 500-MW solar project in western India.

15: Percent of land in Malaysia dedicated to palm oil production. According to some estimates, energy derived from the byproduct could produce 20 percent of the country’s power needs.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

September 5-12, 2011 Asia Report: Will Region Maintain Its Edge?

8 Comments

Allen Gerhardt
October 12, 2011

Instead of complaining about the support China gives to it's renewable energy industries we would be better off to withdraw some of the moneys wasted on military expansion and use those funds to also support our important renewable energy companies. So many politicians are more concerned with their bribes from oil coal and nuclear to make the necessary choices that would increase demand in this country to the point that China could not handle it on their own. Low interest loans are given freely to crooked bankers, but low interest loans to citizens for installing solar power would do far more to improve the health and economic security of this country. With greater domestic demand for solar, more jobs for production would not only help meet that demand, but increase tax roles and reduce deficits at the same time. National direct loans for home solar should replace constant bailouts for banks that cannot control their gambling addictions. Our auto industry has never been the lowest cost in cars and yet they have survived by making quality and service more important than price alone. Perhaps the excessive management salaries common in the US need to be considered when competitive advantages are discussed, as well as the lack of national health care that create financial hardships for businesses. German and Japanese manufacturers do not have to cover employee health costs comparable to ours. They are spending half as much on health care and getting better overall health for the money. There are many issues in competitiveness that are being left out of the discussion.

ANONYMOUS
September 21, 2011

It is a sad state of affairs that in order for the world's population to have a higher standard of living the American standard must be largely reduced. Soon we won't be able to be the world's consumers. To follow China's plan I wouldn't mind seeing our country give corporations large tax breaks for having their factories here, and for anyone that wishes to sell here, bring their factories here. If not, slap imports with tariffs and let those tariffs pay for our infrastructure.

I may be naive but the Free Trade agreements were wonderful for everyone but our American workers. You say our people need the cheap imports? That's because they are unemployed.

lawrence elliott
September 21, 2011

#4
Very naive comments
There is no free lunch
"Pay more" ?
Pay now or pay later
Your choice

The Chinese in fact are 'giving them away'
And you think a short term gain for yourself somehow benefits the country as a whole.

"give producers tax breaks"?
Any more breaks to those who simply horde the profits in the Cayman's or just use them to do more Chinese investment and we will all in fact be BROKE.

I do hope you don't vote
Please don't
Takes careful thought to vote properly

Thinking in any real detail is not your strong suit

Phil Manke
September 21, 2011

Perhaps Obama realizes that isolationist trade policies are, at best, temporary adjustments in the world of energy production. Attempts to tax/limit trade with any other nations will come around to limit advancement here. IOW, temporary measures.
It would be far more progressive to incentivize distributed energy production here, from any quantifiable means available, and let the markets do what they do best; produce whatever/wherever they will.
Today, the USA seems to have mass investments in military control infrastructure with dubious return, and may eventually be able to relax that ideology, perhaps if a realization that "force", which is what governments do best, is not a growth incentive at all, but comes from deeply entrenched weakness and fear. Seeing the peoples of the world as "other" is a concept that can no longer be maintained. We are all world citizens, like it or not. Social stability is only as attainable as our will to see all people as one.
Freedom grants the gift of vision if used freely and constructively. Weakness comes from fear, and isolates the mind that values it. Simple enuff concepts, yet much of our thinking employs it in valuing mistaken ideas.

ANONYMOUS
September 21, 2011

Please do not put tariffs on imports - why force Americans to pay more for a product that it really needs. And then, we can imagine what would happen to the revenue our government collects from said tariffs - misused or abused, most likely. If the Chinese want to "give" these products away, I am all for it. Grant the American producers tax breaks, or have the government buy panels for their own projects, but don't give our government more money for doing nothing but throwing up barriers to trade.

chris grablutz
September 20, 2011

Solar prices have come down so drastically in the past year that the market stability has once again been questioned. We need to establish a tariff on imported solar if we (i.e Americans) want to promote a growing domestic solar infrastructure. President Obama throw millions and millions of dollars out to create new green jobs and open new solar manufacturing factories but at the end of the day everyone went for the cheapest solution available and bought Chinese modules instead of purchasing home grown materials made by our people. Obama did a great job subsidizing the Chinese solar market! The reason why we get the prices we get from China is because of the labor rates they allow there own people to accept. The conditions are horrible, just ask JinkoSolar employees! We do not need our panels to be cheaper, we need there panels to be more expensive. Give there workers fair pay. Use your fellow American's panels!!!

Ralph Perez
September 20, 2011

Was the Senator mentioned from an oil producing state? A coal company state? Nuclear power state? C'mon npw... There will be plenty of resistance from "big energy", as rooftop solar, owned by consumers and small businesses spreads.
Most of the modern plants are solar assisted and contain a high degree of robotics. Bottom line = free energy from sunlight. Live with it.

Allen Gerhardt
September 19, 2011

Manufacturing in the US has suffered from cheap import competition in every sector including solar products. But considering how much the public needs low cost solar products, I am not sure if encouraging higher prices on solar products is a good idea. Rapid installation of solar seems preferable to protectionist policies against imports. But I do understand the complaint and I used the same one when furniture was the subject. Globalization only helps large corporations, seldom small business.

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Renewable Energy World Editors

Renewable Energy World's network editors help deliver the most comprehensive news coverage of the renewable energy industries. Based in the U.S. and the UK, the team is comprised of editors from Pennwell Corporation's myriad of publications...