Many of France’s large-scale solar projects have had to be set aside temporarily due to pressures from the energy crisis causing poor access to equipment and a rise in the levelised cost of electricity.
Europe is home to relatively low solar manufacturing capacities, with just 3% of global module supply in 2020. However, with industry players offering low-carbon products manufactured under robust labour regulations and without the cost of overseas shipping, Europe’s PV manufacturing industry finds itself in a very timely position to ramp up, writes Johan Lindahl, secretary general of the European Solar Manufacturing Council.
Amid potential supply chain bottlenecks as China increases its PV manufacturing dominance, companies in markets such as the US, India and Europe are looking to leverage new policy support to scale up domestic production. Jules Scully charts the industry’s efforts to onshore solar module manufacturing.
Demand is soaring in the US for residential solar and storage, driven by a desire for energy resilience and sustainability, but traditional utilities are hampering progress.
On 15 December, the California Public Utilities Commission will vote on the latest net energy meeting (NEM) proposal regarding the state’s rooftop solar market. Ahead of the vote, activists have taken to the streets in a series of demonstrations against the legislation, and the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) and other representative groups have been vocal in their criticism of the proposal.
With the US Department of Commerce finding that solar manufacturers in Southeast Asia are circumventing duties on Chinese PV cells, questions have been raised over potential legal challenges that lie ahead and whether American project developers will be able to secure enough modules to meet soaring demand.
Galp’s head of Renewable Energy Innovation Centre Emilien Simonot and its environment and CSR manager Claudia Montenegro detail the essential considerations for the solar industry from an ESG perspective.
