Solar stocks surge on expectations for higher demand

US-listed stocks of Chinese solar companies rose after their executives said China may double installations this year to help offset a drop in demand that is rapidly consolidating the industry, Bloomberg reported. China may install as much as five gigawatts (GW) of solar panels this year, compared with 2.2GW installed in 2011, executives said. Trina Solar (TSL.NYSE) gained 5.9% since January 18 to US$8.56, while LDK Solar (LDK.NYSE) rose 5.2% to US$4.89 and Suntech Power Holdings (STP.NYSE) gained 3.1% to US$3.34. The industry helped to drive the Bloomberg China-US 55 Index of the most traded Chinese companies up 1.4% to a four-month high of 103.99 on Friday. Europe, and Germany in particular, is the world’s largest solar market but may reduce subsidies to the renewable energy sector this year. “This extra demand from China, from an overall industry standpoint, I think it still leaves the world in a relatively flat demand situation,” said Daniel Ries, an analyst at Collins Stewart LLC.