Solar Panel Maker Moves Work to China

onteria wrote: post #3

This brings up some really weird reader that screws up the layout in Chrome. Here's a standard one page link instead: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/15/business/energy-environmen...

Thanks for this link, I would have otherwise skipped this article for now. I received a warning that nyt was trying to store data on my system "for offline use."

Re: Solar Panel Maker Moves Work to China

#5

Post by pstuart » Sat, Jan 15, 2011, 5:07 PM UTC

It appears from the outset that Evergreen was operating in bad faith in accepting government stimulus, but they did have their back against the wall.

China has dirt cheap labor, no pollution regulations and strong government support -- how can any US manufacturing survive against that?

Re: Solar Panel Maker Moves Work to China

#6

Post by knowtheory » Sat, Jan 15, 2011, 5:14 PM UTC

raintrees wrote: post #4

onteria wrote: post #3

This brings up some really weird reader that screws up the layout in Chrome. Here's a standard one page link instead: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/15/business/energy-environmen...

Thanks for this link, I would have otherwise skipped this article for now. I received a warning that nyt was trying to store data on my system "for offline use."

The link above is to a page intended for the NYT's Google Chrome App. It does indeed cache articles and the like in your browser as per the HTML5 spec, so that if you were to lose your connectivity (say on a mobile device) you could continue to browse and review stuff the app has cached.

I happen to think that this layout is considerably less annoying than the NYT's main site.

Re: Solar Panel Maker Moves Work to China

#7

Post by john_horton » Sat, Jan 15, 2011, 5:18 PM UTC

On the bright side, the supposed force driving the move (plunging prices for solar panels) is a good thing.

Re: Solar Panel Maker Moves Work to China

#8

Post by raintrees » Sat, Jan 15, 2011, 5:21 PM UTC

knowtheory wrote: post #6

raintrees wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for this link, I would have otherwise skipped this article for now. I received a warning that nyt was trying to store data on my system "for offline use."

The link above is to a page intended for the NYT's Google Chrome App. It does indeed cache articles and the like in your browser as per the HTML5 spec, so that if you were to lose your connectivity (say on a mobile device) you could continue to browse and review stuff the app has cached. I happen to think that this layout is considerably less annoying than the NYT's main site.

Thanks. After finishing the article, I found the definition of that request: https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Offline_resources_in_Firefo....

I am guessing I had pre-primed myself for paranoid thinking after previously reading another HN post: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2106677.

Re: Solar Panel Maker Moves Work to China

#9

Post by melvinram » Sat, Jan 15, 2011, 5:33 PM UTC

I upvoted because I hadn't seen this layout for the NYT website before. It's kind of neat, especially when you click the X button the top right. Very cleanly laid out.

Re: Solar Panel Maker Moves Work to China

#10

Post by mikecarlucci » Sat, Jan 15, 2011, 5:36 PM UTC

pstuart wrote: post #5

It appears from the outset that Evergreen was operating in bad faith in accepting government stimulus, but they did have their back against the wall. China has dirt cheap labor, no pollution regulations and strong government support -- how can any US manufacturing survive against that?

According the article, and assuming Evergreen and China are honest about environmental regulations, the labor prices are not the real issue here. It's grants and loans made by the Chinese banks and local governments that are making up the bulk of the savings.

Still, $300 per month per employee in China vs $5400 in Massachusetts is going to turn some attention to China regardless of other costs.