不久前，中国的太阳能产业还推动着全球可再生能源的发展，不仅大量生产太阳能电池板，还不断压低价格。当然，对于其竞争对手──美国来说，故事版本就截然不同：利润空间受挤压，促使许多美国公司的业务转移到像中国这样的海外生产基地。
在最近的旧金山太阳能展览会中，中国太阳能业者无疑扮演着主导角色。然而，最近的迹象显示，即使是中国的太阳能电池制造商也正在经历利润空间不断削减的痛苦。
据报导，中国可再生能源基础设施中的关键部分，如太阳能发电技术已接近崩溃边缘了。今年8月，一家中国太阳能企业负责人意识到无法还清政府贷款时，选择结束自己的生命。而其它中国太阳能电池制造商最近也已开始减产。
然而，原油期货价格仍持续上涨，在加州等重要市场汽油价格每加仑仍高于5美元。另外，随着美中国之间的贸易紧张局势不断升温，中国的太阳能制造业也与政治扯上了边。以下，我们巡礼了这次在美国举办的展会，看看厂商们展些什么。
SolFocus公司的聚光太阳能板使用光学技术来撷取太阳光线，并将之集中在太阳能电池上数百次。
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：太阳能产业中的政治
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太阳能产业中的政治
一家中国太阳能公司证明展现其在当前中美贸易战争中的游说能力。
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中国的新生代
中国太阳能公司的年轻员工。
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太阳能发电场
中国已经为提升可再生能源产业投入了数十亿美元在中国宁夏，像这样的大型太阳能发电场主要供应其国内需求，但全球销售仍呈现下滑。
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：太阳能持续创新
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• 着眼高效低成本，太阳能市场有望浴火重生
• 展望不佳又逢十一长假，太阳能市场交易清淡
• 杀价竞争不断，太阳能市场纷抢“出清”i6tesmc
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太阳能持续创新
过去的35年来，太阳能电池板的转换效率稳定提升，但供应充足且价格相对更便宜的天然气却一直抑制着太阳能的发展。
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热水器
太阳热能仍然是储存太阳能最有效的方法之一。图为展会现场的太阳能热水器之一。
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工作区
展区的行销活动。
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：可预见的风险
相关阅读：
• 着眼高效低成本，太阳能市场有望浴火重生
• 展望不佳又逢十一长假，太阳能市场交易清淡
• 杀价竞争不断，太阳能市场纷抢“出清”i6tesmc
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可预见的风险
美国最成功的太阳能公司之一──FirstSolar公司执行副总裁James Brown表示，该公司正努力避免“太阳能市场的动荡情况”，以加快下一阶段的太阳能部署行动。 FirstSolar公司正在努力降低太阳能电池板的成本以期能与中国供货商竞争，进而满足市场从石化燃料转向可再生能源方案时的“可预见风险”。
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原料
新材料是推动太阳能转换效率提升的关键。这是德国单晶硅锭制造商Schunk的“基座”(susceptor)。
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提高效率
海润光伏(Hareon Solar)声称已提升了电源转换效率。
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
本文下一页：太阳能的就业机会
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• 展望不佳又逢十一长假，太阳能市场交易清淡
• 杀价竞争不断，太阳能市场纷抢“出清”i6tesmc
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太阳能的就业机会
几乎所有的能源相关产业都声称其技术将能创造就业机会。太阳能产业也不例外。
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就业机会看板
与会者仔细阅读在美国太阳能展的工作列表。许多就业领域都与太阳能安装业务相关。专家表示，可再生能源产业将会需要认证管道以推动太阳能的安装速度。
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本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
编译： Joy Teng
参考英文原文：Slideshow: China and the future of solar power，by George Leopold
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• 着眼高效低成本，太阳能市场有望浴火重生
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• 杀价竞争不断，太阳能市场纷抢“出清”i6tesmc
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Slideshow: China and the future of solar power
George Leopold
Chinese solar vendors dominated a recent solar exhibition in San Francisco, but the Chinese industry is now facing the same market problems as its competitors.
SAN FRANCISCO – Not so long ago, China’s solar industry was at the top of the global renewable energy heap, knocking out millions of solar panels while steadily driving down their price - to the delight of U.S. consumers. For U.S. competitors, of course, it was a different story: squeezed profit margins were driving many U.S. companies out of business or to offshore manufacturing locations like China.
We toured at a big North American solar exhibition here recently and were immediately struck by the sheer number of well-heeled Chinese solar manufacturers exhibiting at the event. But lately there are clear signs that even Chinese solar manufacturers are suffering as their own profit margins have been whittled down to the thickness of a polysilicon wafer.
[Get a 10% discount on ARM TechCon 2012 conference passes by using promo code EDIT. Click here to learn about the show and register.]
Reports out of China indicate that key segments of China’s renewable energy infrastructure like photovoltaic technology are nearing collapse. In August, the head of a Chinese solar company leapt to his death when he realized his company couldn’t pay off a government loan. Other Chinese solar panel manufacturers have recently cut production.
All this as oil futures continue to rise and gasoline prices remain above $5 a gallon in key markets like California.
With trade tensions rising between the U.S. and China, some Chinese vendors at the Inter Solar North American exhibition here also evinced a growing awareness of how the global trade system operates when rival economies are hurting. One Chinese vendor prominently display at its booth a key passage from a U.S. International Trade Administration ruling that the company did not dump solar panels on the U.S. market.
Growing trade tensions between China and the U.S. along with the exodus of solar manufacturing to China have placed solar politics at the forefront in a presidential election year. One of candidate Mitt Romney’s so-called presidential debate “zingers” accuses the Obama administration of surpassing the old GOP saw about “picking between winners and losers” with picking only losers -- a not-so-subtle reference to last year’s Solyndra debacle.
Factors like climate change, the drive for energy independence, access to capital, technological advances and plain-old politics are constantly reshaping renewable energy markets. We offer a snapshot of that market and where it might be headed.
SolFocus' concentrator photovoltaic panels use optics technology to capture sunlight and concentrate it hundreds of times on a solar cell.
Solar politics
A Chinese solar company demonstrates its lobbying ability in the ongoing trade wars with the U.S.
China's next generation
The young face of China's booming solar industry.
Solar farms
China has invested billions to pump up its renewable energy sector. Huge domestic demand for solar farms like this one in Ningxia, China, accounted for much of the industry's sales, but global sales are slipping.
Solar innovation
The conversion efficiency of solar panels has steadily improved over the last 35 years, but plentiful and relatively cheap natural gas supplies have dampened solar sales.
Water heater
Solar thermal remains one of the most efficient ways to store solar energy. Pictured is one of many solar water heaters on display at the North American Inter Solar exhibition.
Work zone
An advocacy group launched a new marketing campaign during the solar exhibition.
'Perceived risk'
James Brown, executive vice president of FirstSolar, one of the most successful U.S. solar companies, said it is trying to avoid the "fog of the current solar market turmoil" in order to speed the next phase of solar deployments. FirstSolar is working to reduce solar panel costs to compete with Chinese vendors while addressing the "perceived risk" of switching from fossil fuels to renewable sources, Brown said.
Raw materials
New materials are one way of achieving incremental increases in solar conversion efficiency. Shown is a "susceptor" from German manufacturer Schunk for making monocrystalline silicon ingots.
Boosting efficiency
Along with reducing costs -- upfront and life cycle -- companies like Hareon Solar were touting increased power conversion efficiency at the solar exhibition.
Solar jobs
Nearly every energy sector is claiming its technology will generate jobs. Where there is sun, the solar lobby claims there will be jobs.
Jobs board
Attendees peruse the job listings at the U.S. solar exhibition. A growing employment sector is solar installations. Experts say the renewable energy industry needs the equivalent of the certified plumber to boost solar installations.
责编：Quentin
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