Solyndra Not Representative of the Solar Industry
A lot of news has focussed recently on Solyndra, a solar manufacturer that secured a Department of Energy Loan guarantee and this month filed for bankruptcy. This situation is, fortunately, not indicitive of the solar industry as a whole, which continues to grow, despite some pundits' best attempts to convince you otherwise.
Solar produces close to 100% of Grand Junction Therapies' electrical demand each year.
The solar industry in general has gotten a lot of attention lately, due to the demise of Solyndra, a solar manufactuer that filed for bankruptcy this month. Solyndra was a thin film solar panel manufacturer that was backed by a DOE loan guarantee and hosted President Obama for a speech about technology's part to play in the future. For solar's opposition, it presented a perfect opportunity to make this bankruptcy an example of the industry as a whole, creating an environment by politicians and pundits of wild inaccuracies and blatant misstatements about the industry as a whole. However, the truth of the matter is that this company was just poorly run and shows more about mismanagement than technology's feasibility.
Some of the real facts about the solar industry include:
* The solar industry employs more than 100,000 Americans, more than twice as many as in 2009. They work at more than 5,000 companies, the vast majority being small businesses, in all 50 states.
* The U.S. solar industry grew by 69% in the past year, making it one of the fastest growing sectors in the U.S. economy.
* Since the beginning of 2010, the price of solar panels has dropped by 30%, and costs continue to fall making solar an even more viable choice for residential and business customers.
* The U.S. was a net exporter of solar products in 2010 by $2 billion. We were even a net exporter to China.
* Solar power in the U.S. now exceeds 3,100 megawatts (MW), enough to power more than 630,000 homes.
* Continued industry growth enhances our energy security and diversifies our domestic energy portfolio.
