Solar Panel Company Evegreen to move production to China

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:20 pm

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opini ... 66472.html

"In exchange for receiving $58.6 million in grants, loans, land, tax incentives, and other aid to build in Massachusetts, Evergreen pledged that it would add 350 new jobs, a goal that it has, to date, far surpassed. However, the company disclosed in a financial filing yesterday that it would write off $40 million worth of equipment at Devens because of the production shift to China," the Globe reported.

"The company has been a poster child of the Patrick administration’s efforts to develop a 'green energy' industry cluster in Massachusetts. But it has been struggling financially because of increased competition from overseas producers and rapidly falling prices for solar products. It recently persuaded the state to lend it another $5 million to cover equipment purchases, though the state has not yet released the funds," the Globe said.

Evergreen has lost at least $167 million so far in 2009, according to the Globe. Last year during the same period, the company's losses totalled only $33.6 million. Following announcement of the move to China, the company's stock closed at $1.42 per share, down six cents per share.

SMITTY · By: **SMITTY** On: Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:02 am

Yeah typical for businesses here. Once the party is over, they still have to deal with the high cost of doing business in MA. You can't compete with anyone while paying bills here. It was a big-time slap in the face to the administration, but they still don't seem to understand that their policies are just driving businesses from this state left & right. They just can't let one dime slip by -- read my thread about the Charlton registry. The states quest for money is going to be it's undoing. We need a SERIOUS political intervention!!! :!:

I could have laughed about this if they had shifted production to another state, but sending it to china is just plain wrong. Wonder what the treehuggers think of this?

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:51 pm

Well the bottom of the market fell out of solar panels so I wouldn't blame it entirely on MA. I believe Spain one of the major consumers got their heads of their ass and realized how expensive it was.

Having said that this situation is could be the poster child of what is wrong with this green movement and to some extent this country.

Here's some facts:

This company would not exist except for the massive federal subsidies given to solar and other renewable markets because they would not have a market for their product because it's too expensive. That's in addition to the state incentives mentioned in this article.
If the energy bill passes as it is now these systems will mandated,maybe not these particular systems but some form of renewable energy and they are all expensive. You will pay for them whether it's through your electric bill , taxes or whatever the case may be.
Your tax dollars are in effect going to subsidize a Chinese product, that's the bottom line.
Lastly they will be built in country that so far has no intentions of reducing their own greenhouse gases but instead is rapidly expanding the use of coal and other fossil fuels because it's cheap.

So we'll be buying solar panels from the Chinese subsidized by our own tax dollars so we can have more expensive electricity. In the meantime they reap enormous profits and keep on building coal fired power plants ironically to build solar panels to ship here.

Yea, that makes sense.

mr1precision · By: **mr1precision** On: Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:47 pm

Geez, I just did a job for them.....hope i get paid. :shock:

It's truely amazing that a plant that is so automated could go under because its not competitive enough. Ive been in there and the place is unreal. There's three robots to one person. It does get any better than that. At least from a manufacturing stand point.
What a shame!

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:51 pm

mr1precision wrote:It's truely amazing that a plant that is so automated could go under because its not competitive enough.

You could be the most competitive comapny in the entire world in this filed and still won't compete with coal, that's the bottom line.

Blackdiamonddoug · By: **Blackdiamonddoug** On: Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:54 pm

I love all the alternative fuel people who dont understand that there is only one way to go if it not oil.
When will we hear about a billion dollars of reasearch for coal Gasification Use the cheap natural fuel that we already discovered.
I have a simple coal gas burner from 1951 its call a AA260
Throw some fresh coal on top of the pile just add heat and some funny looking blue gas burns and make heat!!!
BBD

djackman · By: **djackman** On: Wed Nov 11, 2009 12:52 am

mr1precision wrote:There's three robots to one person.

That one US worker costs more than 10 chinese workers.

SMITTY · By: **SMITTY** On: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:08 am

True ...

This whole thing just reeks of treehugger logic -- they want to "save the world" so bad that they can't stop & think logically for one damn second. They are going to run this country into the ground in their quest for an environmental utopia.

Just let us burn the damn coal! Keep our country #1 & keep our fellow citizens working! When you guys figure out how to make wind & solar as cheap as coal, then MAYBE we'll jump on your little wagon! :idea:

4tees · By: **4tees** On: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:15 am

What I do not understand is why there seems to be NO effort whatsoever in reasearch and development of Solar Thermal technologies? Most likely it is not complicated enough. After all isn't this the basis for heating the earth?

Why doesn't every roof in America have a solar water heating system? Simple designs...collector, antifreeze solution, few pumps, heat exchanger, few thermostats.

What about solar thermal air heaters? Simple designs...collector(hollow box), air, few fans, heat storage (water filled drums, rock bins), few thermostats.
I built a 4'x8' collector with $100 in materials that pumps out 140 degree air in the middle of the winter to heat my office running only a tiny fan. I can't believe the experts could not do this on a larger scale and make it able to be retrofitted on most homes or businesses.

Why not a federal tax credit to add a sunspace on the south side of your home with a few fans to pump warm air into the home during the day in the winter?

Use oil for the portable applications....transportation.

Paulie · By: **Paulie** On: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:46 am

Open trade with China and NAFTA have sucked the jobs out of our economy. What did we get in return? WAL MART and the bill to cover their employees health care. Not a great deal for us. Pro trade talks about how we are only giving up
crappy jobs. Well, that is not true, and even if it were, those crappy jobs would be real handy about now.

samhill · By: **samhill** On: Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:10 am

It isn`t only the chinese workers getting paid less its that they don`t have half the overhead, the ceo on down actually do work & there are no where near as many of them. Then if they do have a slowdown for some reason sluggish economy or breakdown of some sort they cut from upper management rather than a worker that actually produces a product.

Solar Panel Company Evegreen to move production to China

Solar Panel Company Evegreen to move production to China

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Re: Solar Panel Company Evegreen to move production to China

Re: Solar Panel Company Evegreen to move production to China

Re: Solar Panel Company Evegreen to move production to China

Re: Solar Panel Company Evegreen to move production to China

Re: Solar Panel Company Evegreen to move production to China

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