NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A brutal 2011 has left the solar industry dazed, damaged and on the cusp of a major shakeout of weaker players who are more likely to shut down than be snapped up by their stronger rivals.
Solar subsidy cuts in top markets Italy and Germany prompted a 20 percent drop in the price of solar panels this year, bringing the fast-growing solar industry to a critical tipping point. Even companies that had been stock market heroes find themselves as the walking wounded, struggling to cut costs in a market awash with solar panels.