As officials meet in Copenhagen to hammer out a new global climate-change policy, Asian clean technology companies are poised to benefit from their large home markets and expertise in low-cost electronics manufacturing. Already, such companies as Sunpower (SPWR) are relying on engineers in plants in the Philippines to improve yields and bring costs down. Companies such as Suntech in China have taken the lead in producing silicon-based photovoltaic cells. On Dec.
10 wind-power producer China Longyuan had a strong debut on the Hong Kong stock market, raising more than $2 billion in an initial public offering that rose 9.4% on the stock's first day of trading.
The success of such companies demonstrates that Asia's scientists and technologists are capable of taking the lead in helping the world make the transition to renewable energy resources. We just need to give them the right challenge.
Detractors argue that initial capital costs for some renewable sources are still expensive. They also point out that sources of renewable energy such as wind and solar are intermittent: The wind doesn't always blow when you want it to, and the sun doesn't always shine in a particular location.
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