Materials

The head of 3Sun USA speaks with PV Tech Premium about IRA's ongoing challenges, from disparity of module capacity to high interest rates.

US solar manufacturer CubicPV has signed a long-term supply agreement with South Korean-owned polysilicon producer OCIM to support its planned solar wafer manufacturing facility.

Countries beyond China will need to invest US$700 billion to develop their renewables production capacity, according to Rystad Energy.

Inverter supplier SMA Solar Technology will put an inverter production site in the US with an annual capacity of 3.5GW.

Xinjiang Daqo, the Chinese subsidiary of polysilicon manufacturer Daqo New Energy, has signed an investment agreement to build a new silicon-based facility in China.

A shortage of US-made cells and other materials means ongoing reliance on imports to match domestic module capacity, according to CEA.

“Cut-throat” competition in the polysilicon production industry in 2024 could push many Chinese producers out of business, according to analysis from industry research firm Bernreuter Research.

According to reports from Norwegian media outlets, the price of electricity in Norway, alongside worldwide overproduction of polysilicon, made REC’s operations untenable in comparison with its Chinese competitors.

German quality assurance and testing centre TÜV Rheinland has finalised its investment into a new US base, the Technology and Innovation Centre in Boxborough, Massachusetts.

Everything seems to be pointing to the solar PV manufacturing sector going into a downturn in 2024, with loss-making potentially rife across much of the upstream sector.