China Takes Lead in Solar Cell Production
by Stacy Feldman - Apr 28th, 2008
In the wake of the global investment surge in solar power, China is cashing in -- big time. And its clean energy progress is putting the US and others to shame.
China has now overtaken Germany as the world’s #1 producer of solar cells, according to numbers tallied by the German magazine Der Spiegel.
Last year, China reached a production capacity of 1,200 megawatts, while runner-up Germany – one of the industry’s pioneers and long-time leaders – produced 875 megawatts worth of solar cells.
One-year wonder? No.
China's share of the world solar cell market now stands at 28 percent. That’s nearly double its 15 percent share in 2006. And it’s climbing.
You can tack it on to China's growing list of clean energy feats. That may come as a shock, but it's true.
Have a look:
America’s favorite global warming whipping boy will become the world’s #1 wind turbine maker in 2009. It has a national renewable energy platform already in place. The US doesn’t. Not even close. Beijing has a firm plan for energy efficiency too.
And, no gasoline-powered car assembled in North America would come close to meeting China's current auto-efficiency standard, the Toronto Star reported last month.
The Chinese law is far too rigorous.
Of course, there is the enormous problem of China building a brand-new coal plant about every week. But even with that stain on its record, it's doing more than the US to nurture a low-carbon economy.
And that should position China mighty well for capturing a huge percentage of the world's new clean energy jobs -- something it has already started to do.
Meanwhile, the US Congress is pondering a cut to a vital tax credit for clean energy companies that would choke America's renewables industry -- and its prospects of generating tens of thousands of new domestic jobs.
Go figure.
Source: The Earth Times
Bookmark/Search this post with:
Here another field China
Here another field China takes the lead
Post new comment