Be Careful of Cells / Panels Made in Zhejiang

Recently we've received some complains from Spain that they've got some panels shipped from Ningbo (a commercial city located in East Zhejiang Province of China). The panels are bad, regardless of their labels marked as A0 products. The cells have significent chromatic aberrations. The power output is not stable. 

Well, congratulations, you've got one of the infamous province's products. The province was, and is always famous for its pirated, cheap but bad quality products. Despite of some world famous factories in the province are still manufacturing good quality products, many smaller workshop do sell (mainly domestically) un-qualified products. 

So, please be aware, when you receive a very low price, from an unknown workshop in the province, do check the background of that company, and better fly over and check by yourself. Don't risk yourself. Although I am not accusing the whole province's industry, I do express my concern on the issues that may seriously poison the market. 

A Financial Crisis Too Strong

The financial crisis has hardly hit the solar industry and so far some of the European markets have seen certain market saturation. What will the PV industry do to safely pass the crisis?

We predict that by the next February the market will wake up and all the energy will burst out. Some markets have already seen the power and it is just a matter of time.

Society Panic After Suntech Power Fired Too Many Staffs

The local society is in shock after Suntech dramatically sacked at least 2,000 employees and may wish to sack a further 1,000 to 2,000 employees in January, according to the sources from its production line 8.

Breaking news recently has included an explosion of bending machine from its panel factory on 28 November 2008 that has seriously injured 7 employees and wounded another 30. The accident was covered quickly by the company and was not reported on local newspaper at all.

Suntech Power is one of the biggest PV industry leaders in East Asia. However in the financial crisis like 2008 the company seems that it cannot pass the test, unlike many other smaller Chinese solar companies. Its Nasdaq stock has been falling since 2008 and it has declined 89%.

Criticism points out that lacking of efficient management, expanding too quick, bad-trained employees are three factors that stumble Suntech.

Despite of a large amount of workers from other remote provinces being fired, many local engineers and office workers were also kicked out. Unlike the unlettered workers, the panicky local community is fighting back. Recently an unemployed mother of one wrote a letter on the local online forum which was then quickly broad casted and forwarded to many other white-collar fellows in East China.

Quote:

Published by Maomaojuan on 26/11/2008:

I quited my previous job last month and went to Suntech-Power in November. I was wishing Suntech-Power could offer me a better treatment as the HR has promised me previously. Suddenly, yesterday (25/11/2008) Suntech HR informed me to go back home till January and wait for further announcement. This is absolutely a joke. Sadly I was still in the trail contract. I am a mother of a daughter and I do have a family to support. Does the Suntech-Power chief CEO Dr. Shi wish me to stay in his office to protest against the company?

I hear that the heads of Suntech had a joint meeting in October and decided to execute 2,000 staffs in December. All those out-contracted staffs will not be renewed and all those in trial will not get the opportunities to become formal staffs.

My question is, since in October Suntech is relieving staffs, why did the company still hire so many new staffs? The response of the company is so slow.

Like me, people who were tempted to quit the previous jobs and joined Suntech recently were absolutely idiots. The company methodology is absolutely absurd! Are the 30 HR staffs of Suntech cheating people all the time?

A Letter to Dear Dr. Zhenrong Shi:

The first day of my company culture lecture, I was told that you had a dream, which is "The company was growing as fast as 100%, and our company motto is Worshipping Goodness and Good Virtues; Persuading Good Conduct." I have to ask you, do you have good virtues? Are you behaving well?

The mission of Suntech was "Creating green future, benefiting human society" I have to ask you, you hire people then fire them after two weeks; you seriously harm the society stability. How dare you say you benefit people?

I've been working in other foreign company for years. I've found that Suntech's HR was HUGE, LOW-EFFICIENCY, HIRING people EVERYDAY then FIRING them thereafter.

1. The staffs are not well educated, many of whom are relatives of city councilor or so. I've heard that one staff was only 18, because he was a relative of somebody CEO.
2. The inner management was absolutely in chaos. There is no SOP.
3. The inner documents are not well flowed.
4. There is no system controlled production. SAP was just a toy. The production lines can do whatever they like to do.
5. There is no refining production. Never! For six years only last week did staffs see training from Japanese. However it was too late!

There are also many problems, I do not wish to mention. I am just sad to say, why Suntech-Power is so "low-power" (no virtue)?

My 3 years daughter asked me today, "Mum why don't you go work today? We cannot buy anything without working." I was heart-broken!

Published on xici.net forum

Nobody is aware of when and how the scandal will come to an end.

Report by Solar Expert.