Bishop Hill Chinese renewables
Dec 10, 2013 Energy: solar Energy: wind Foreign 
An article in the Financial Post in Canada looks at China's much-vaunted renewables industry and shows that it is nearing collapse:
Sinovel – one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers – went from earning hundreds of millions of dollars in profits in 2010 when the renewable energy industry was booming to millions in losses that grow by the day. Revenues are now just a fifth of what they were in 2010. The company has closed its overseas offices and recently laid off thousands of employees.
And it seems that the solar industry is doing just as badly. In China, just as in Europe, renewable energy was only able to survive if it was regularly hosed down with public funds. As soon as the taps were switched off, the industry was in trouble.
Reader Comments (19)
Last paragraph needs changing to make sense - renewable energy was only able to keep its survive if it was regularly hosed down with public funds
Yet according to the noble and (not) learned Baroness Worthington, wind power is getting cheaper by the day and will soon challenge coal!! (Para-phrased from memory after watching one of her HoL's debates).
Would a "LMFAO" be appropriate at this point?
I'm confused with what you mean by "the taps switched off". They may be doing badly as you say, but the taps are still full on as far as I can see in the UK.
Western governments conned themselves into thinking the public would embrace renewables. The media and celebs were convinced they could worry/shame the public into grabbing renewables. The Chinese rubbed their hands as they dreamed of a lucrative renewables market. The only fly in the ointment was the public. It turns out they're not stupid sheep who can be fleeced of their money.
Bloomberg’s view of the state of wind power in China.
Back in 2011, 25% of Chinese wind farms were not connected to the grid, last year it was still 17%.
@ John B, oooh no. It could be much worse. It might have taken a while but MPs are beginning to flinch. The energy bills stories are the tangible signs. There will be a few more years while they try to maintain the dichotomy of pleasing the bill paying (and voting) public and politiians' fond ideas about saving the planet and emerging as heroes.
We all know how the Greens will react to this news. First of all they will ignore it, then, if questioned about it, will produce some other figures from somewhere to show that renewables should be a roaring success, and finally, when forced to admit the problems in China, will say that the Chinese experience shows that we need to put more, not less, money into renewables.
Why is this news a surprise?
And why will it be no surprise that our "Leadership" will plough on regardless?
Love the wind-powered wheelbarrow. Clever these Chinese: whatever next? Oh yes, the wind-powered car;
http://www.wimp.com/farmerinvented/
With the reporter singing the praises of perpetual motion!
I dunno where you got your illustration from but the Chinese sailing wheelbarrow, and more particularly the Chinese one-wheeled wheelbarrow was a superbly efficient way of transporting heavy loads and did not look much like the one illustrated.
The Chinese even built very narrow paved roads to suit these barrows.
I came across this by accident a while back and found it most illuminating in an obscure sort of way.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbarrow.html
Re Baroness Worthington - as mentioned by snotrocket above - I've often wondered if we couldn't connect her up to the grid in some way (YESSSS...!) - because the amount she waves her arms about ought to be enough to light at least an LED lamp...
Separately - and you do have to have some sympathy with my family who worry about how my mind works - I see in the Driving section of The Sunday Times that VW are now marketing a new coal-driven - SORRY - electric car. Its called the e-Up! - so I wondered if it would only be available in Yorkshire...
Didn't someone cross a desert using a sailbarrow?
These offshore wind turbines have given me anidea...
Why not wind-driven SHIPS..?
We could dispense with expensive and polluting diesel and heavy oil; the ships could pick up the Trade Winds as they crossed oceans...
Oh - I can see it now - huge sails billowing, just like pictures of the Spanish Armada........
Oh, hang on...
The guy in the pic has an ineffectual windmill, and no shoes. How apt.
Jack Savage, thanks for the link to the article about the Chinese wheelbarrow. I really enjoyed reading it. You learn something new (or old) every day! :-)
Yet according to the noble and (not) learned Baroness Worthington, wind power is getting cheaper by the day and will soon challenge coal!! (Para-phrased from memory after watching one of her HoL's debates).
Dec 10, 2013 at 9:45 AM | Unregistered CommenterSnotrocket
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The share-price is probably getting cheaper by the day.
The Chinese solar industry was doing very nicely until the EU imposed crippling import tariffs. I take it you all will now embrace the EU and ditch your free market ideals? No, thought not. Like it or not, the UK pv industry is doing very nicely, they just source their panels elswhere, Malaysia and increasingly India.
Jack Savage- what fascinating article, thanks for that.