First Solar reports forced labor in supply chain
A third-party examination revealed that employees employed by four subcontractors at manufacturing sites in Malaysia were subject to unethical labor practices.
Top five solar inverter vendors accounted for 71% of shipments in 2022
Global inverter shipments increased to 330 GWac with Huawei, Sungrow, Ginlong, Solis, Growatt and GoodWe named as the top vendors.
Sunrise brief: Robots provide waterless cleaning of PV plants
Also on the rise: Local zoning ordinances play important role in predicting solar output. Sheffield Hallam University updates info on alleged forced labor in solar industry. And more.
Sheffield Hallam University updates info on alleged forced labor in solar industry
The British university reports that the share of polysilicon manufactured in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and used in solar module production has dropped from 45% in 2020 to 35% in 2022. The research alsom found that polysilicon produced in interior China increased from 30% in 2020 to 50% in 2022, with the share of international markets dropping, somewhat surprisingly, from 25% to 11%.
WoodMac predicts 270 GW of new global PV capacity in 2023
Wood Mackenzie expects 270 GW of new global PV capacity in 2023, up 33% year on year. However, the annual growth rate is anticipated to fall to 1% in 2024 and to increase again by 5% in 2025.
First commercial gravity-based energy storage tower begins commissioning
Energy Vault has begun commissioning a 25 MW / 100 MWh energy storage tower adjacent to a wind power facility outside of Shanghai.
Vietnamese solar modules for U.S. projects
Thornova announced that it has 1.5 GW of solar modules available for the U.S. market. The company also plans to open a U.S. manufacturing site in 2024 where it will produce both solar cells and modules that it says will qualify for domestic content adders.
Sunrise brief: European warehouses store 40 GW of unsold solar panels
Also on the rise: New York Green Bank provides $25 million credit debt facility for energy storage. Federal agencies urged to tap 25 GW potential of solar on canals. And more.
European warehouses store 40 GW of unsold solar panels
Rystad Energy says that about $7.8 billion of solar panels are now being stored in Europe, but European developers continued to buy solar modules from China throughout the first half of this year.
Secretary Yellen’s China mission underscores economic diplomacy, domestic climate policy nexus
The central tension at the heart of the IRA – limiting dependence on competitors like China while undergoing an energy transition that we cannot accomplish without them – will inform, and even dictate, so much of U.S. policy going forward.
