Another module maker may face WRO enforcement, Roth Capital warns
Given the WRO and the potential anti-circumvention tariff challenges, U.S. module supply risk is material, the analyst firm said in a note to clients.
Solar modules are being detained by customs agents, reports suggest
An order issued in late June instructed customs agents to detain solar shipments containing silica-based products sourced from a Chinese firm and its subsidiaries. Three solar players may already have been impacted.
Residential solar demand is ‘through the roof’
One question is whether or not manufacturers can keep up with demand, particularly inverters and semiconductors.
Supply chain constraints are starting to hit the solar industry, SEIA says
A Q1 market report said the biggest impact has been on utility-scale projects, with some developers trying to rework PPAs. It warned that “compounding cost increases across all materials are just beginning to affect installers.”
Sunrise brief: Polysilicon prices likely have peaked, Canadian Solar execs say
Also on the rise: Stem provides smart energy storage services to a Bay State project, solar leads in global power generation investment, and Agilitas Energy expands its storage footprint.
Price pressures may delay 15% of utility-scale solar projects this year, Roth Capital warns
Shaving off 15% would trim new capacity additions by more than 2.3 GW this year alone, based on Energy Information Administration forecasts. Higher prices throughout the solar supply chain are being blamed.
Coronavirus could cause solar panel price spike
The coronavirus outbreak in China could raise solar module prices in the near term as manufacturers have already begun experiencing wafer and solar glass shortages. Production rates are also being affected by an extended new year holiday introduced by the authorities as a measure to deal with the virus, and the requirement workers from infected areas quarantine themselves for two weeks.
Residential solar power growing like a “weed”, straining labor
Roth Capital Partners forecasts 25% year on year growth in both 2019 and 2020 for the U.S. residential solar power market. The firm notes that executive interviews are saying Roth’s projections are conservative, suggesting growth in the 30-50% range.
Solar + storage to survive disasters
A research note by Roth Capital Partners predicts the residential storage market in the United States to grow more quickly than expected. This prediction is founded just as much in disaster mitigation as it in economic viability.
Roth: Steel, aluminum tariffs to add at least 1-3 cents per watt to solar projects
While President Trump has a range of options, all likely scenarios seem likely to result in a modest increase in the cost of solar installations.
