A U.S. ban on some solar materials made in the Xinjiang region is unlikely to have a major impact on Chinese polysilicon manufacturers, analysts said, although that could change if other countries follow Washington. The Biden administration imposed a “withhold release order” on Thursday for products made by Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. and ports were […]
US Blocks Solar Panel Materials From China Over Labor Abuses
WASHINGTON : A Chinese company that produces a key ingredient in solar panels will be barred from the U.S. market as part of a broader effort to halt commerce tied to the country’s repressive campaign against Uyghurs and other minorities, the Biden administration said Thursday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will immediately halt shipments from […]
Building New Renewables Is Cheaper Than Burning Fossil Fuels
It’s now cheaper to build and operate new large-scale wind or solar plants in nearly half the world than it would be to run an existing coal or gas-fired power plant. That’s the latest analysis from BloombergNEF, which sees that even with the risk of rising commodity prices, a new solar park or wind farm […]
China Vows to Retaliate If US Bans Import of Solar Panel Material From Xinjiang
The Biden administration is mulling to ban the import of solar panel material–polysilicon– from the region, where the Chinese government has been accused of committing genocide against the Uyghurs minority. Beijing: China on Tuesday vowed to retaliate if the United States bans the import of a critical solar panel material from Xinjiang. According to a […]
Hardening of Imported Solar PV Module Price to Moderate Project Returns: Icra
Hardening of imported photovoltaic solar module price will moderate the returns for projects awarded over the last six to nine-month period, rating agency Icra NSE 4.19 % said on Tuesday. The increase in imported photovoltaic (PV) solar module price level by about 15-20 per cent over the last 4-5 months, to around 22-23 cents/watt as […]
Global Supply Chain Squeeze, Soaring Costs Threaten Solar Energy Boom
Soaring shipping freight rates along with higher costs for fuel, copper and labor are also pinching project costs, company executives said LOS ANGELES: Global solar power developers are slowing down project installations because of a surge in costs for components, labor, and freight as the world economy bounces back from the coronavirus pandemic, according to […]
How China Beat the U.S. to Become World’s Undisputed Solar Champion
For Mayor Tom Hughes and the other politicians gathered to cheer the opening of a $440 million solar panel plant in Hillsboro, Oregon, it was a moment of glory. The arrival of SolarWorld AG promised to be a turning point for his hometown just west of Portland. “Not just because of SolarWorld itself,” Hughes recalled, […]
China’s Solar Giants Say Industry Needs to Fight Cost Inflation
The heads of some of China’s largest solar makers pressed the industry to reduce costs as raw material inflation boosts panel prices for the first time in eight years. An employee performs a final inspection on solar cells on the production line at the Trina Solar factory in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. Manufacturers like Trina Solar […]
Biden’s Solar Ambitions Collide with China Labor Complaints
The Biden administration’s solar power ambitions are colliding with complaints the global industry depends on Chinese raw materials that might be produced by forced labor. A big hurdle is polysilicon, used to make photovoltaic cells for solar panels. The global industry gets 45% of its supply from Xinjiang, the northwestern region where the ruling Communist […]
CSIRO Report Highlights Potential For Australia in Critical Energy Minerals With Full Energy Value Chain
CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has released a report that outlines the significant potential for Australia to reshape its mining sector to capitalize on its rich critical materials resources and turn them into high purity materials and products through refining and manufacturing. The Critical Energy Minerals Roadmap shows how the mining and manufacturing sectors can […]