Closer to a closed loop
It’s often said that the global PV market moves in circles and reading the collected words of the many respected market observers who are kind enough to share their expertise in our September 2024 edition, it’s easy to feel like we’ve been here before. Oversupply, falling prices, trade cases, protectionism, and high-profile bankruptcies are all […]
Varying fortunes for US solar stocks
There have been percentage gains for US solar stocks across all market segments despite the collapse of industry stalwart SunPower. A likely interest rate cut gives the residential sector grounds for optimism but there could be more pain to come for the utility-scale solar market.
The shifting sands of PV module supply
Chinese solar manufacturing capacity faces a downturn that is unlikely to translate into growth in other regions, writes S&P’s Edurne Zoco.
The US is building a solar trade wall
Chinese companies with Southeast Asian production lines have taken advantage of the production costs and trade restrictions that make US panels more costly. However, shifting trade disputes are putting price advantages under the spotlight, writes InfoLink analyst Jonathan Chou.
Diagnosis: Unstable
The PV market is in flux. The summer 2024 slump is subsiding but reports of bankruptcies and insolvency are coming in. While installation figures have been promising, not least in Germany, the market is in trouble and manufacturers are concerned by low prices.
Directions to de-risk a solar supply chain
US industrial policy has supported an uptick in annual solar module production capacity while trade policy has ramped up the cost of cell and module imports. Andy Klump, the founder of Clean Energy Associates (CEA), offers some tips to help solar developers plan a route to success.
Shipping panels is freighted with risk
Unpredictable shipping costs in the years before 2024 have broken the long-established link between factory gate prices in China and the price tag once products arrive at their destination.
Sunshine on residential rooftops
Policy support, exemptions from local-content requirements, and tumbling solar panel prices are increasingly making home solar an affordable option in India.
Solar tussles in Puerto Rico
Lawsuits, an imminent threat to net metering, and questions over commitments to the energy transition in some quarters pose real challenges for solar in Puerto Rico. Despite this, the US territory is still a high flyer in the region when it comes to distributed generation, while larger-scale solar and storage are on course to benefit from a US Department of Energy (DoE) loan guarantee.
All or nothing
Stanford University professor Mark Z. Jacobson spoke to pv magazine about testifying in support of young US climate activists and revealed which technologies he thinks will be most useful for the energy transition.
