Issue 5 2024 (September)

Welcome to "Frankly Speaking," your monthly go-to source for the latest news and insights in solar manufacturing. I'm Frank Andorka, Content Lead for Akhia . Each edition will explore the most pressing issues, innovative technologies, and policy developments shaping solar manufacturing. This newsletter is proudly brought to you by Akhia , a full-service, manufacturing-focused marketing communications company based in Hudson, Ohio.

Without further ado, let’s get to the news:

The battle over tariffs continues: The U.S. Department of Commerce is set to make a preliminary decision on new tariffs for solar panels imported from four Southeast Asian nations. This move addresses claims by U.S. manufacturers like Hanwha Qcells and First Solar, who argue that Chinese companies in these countries receive unfair subsidies, including cheap financing, electricity, land, and tax breaks. The case considers the impact of cross-border subsidies, which could level the playing field for U.S. solar manufacturing. Reuters has the details. Reuters

The numbers are simply eye-popping: U.S. solar panel manufacturing has quadrupled to more than 31 GW since the Inflation Reduction Act, mainly driven by utility-scale installations. While new tariffs on solar components from some Asian countries may affect growth, effects on the utility-scale segment are expected to be modest. The residential and commercial sectors may see slight declines due to reliance on imports. Broader challenges like interconnection backlogs and equipment shortages may also affect future expansion. For more information, visit the article here. Canary Media Inc.

You have to give credit where credit is due: Kelly Pickerel asks the most pressing question facing U.S. solar developers today: How "American" is your solar panel? She talked to a LOT of people and highlights the factors that influence this, including sourcing of materials, manufacturing processes, and assembly locations. It discusses the challenges of creating a fully domestic solar supply chain and the impact of recent U.S. policy efforts to boost American-made solar products. For more information, visit the article. Solar Power World

It pains me greatly to say I missed RE+, but apparently it was a banger. According to our friends at Manufacturing Dive , speakers from across the solar industry came to the same conclusion: To compete with China’s solar manufacturing dominance, the U.S. must develop a vertically integrated supply chain. This includes polysilicon, ingot, wafer, cell, and module production. Currently, China produces more than 85% of the world’s solar materials, thanks to low prices from nonmarket practices and economies of scale. Increasing domestic capacity and mitigating reliance on imports are crucial for the U.S. solar industry to thrive. You can read the full article here.

Watching the Solar Energy Industries Association under Abby Hopper ’s leadership (and the great team assembled there) is often exhilarating—and this is one of those times. SEIA has released a draft of a supply chain transparency standard for the solar and storage industry. This standard, known as Standard 101, aims to help manufacturers and importers trace product origins, ensuring compliance with U.S. Customs' requirements. It includes guidelines for tracking the provenance of solar components from raw materials to finished products and helps ensure they were not made using slave labor. The standard is open for public comment and expected to be in use by Q1 2025. For more details, you can visit the article here. Solar Power World

Quick hits:

First Solar has opened a new 3.5 GW solar panel factory in Alabama, marking its fifth U.S. manufacturing facility. Find the details here. Solar Power World

Montgomery, Illinois, is being considered for a solar manufacturing plant, promising economic growth and new jobs as part of U.S. solar supply chain efforts. While the company is not named, the local leaders seem pretty excited. (WCSJ)

Heliene secured a $50 million tax credit transfer, facilitating its investment in U.S. manufacturing. The deal reflects increasing financial support for domestic solar production. Read more about it here. pv magazine USA

DYCM Power plans to build an $800 million solar cell and module factory in the U.S., boosting domestic solar manufacturing capacity. You can find the article here. pv magazine USA

Japanese solar manufacturer Toya Solar plans to build 2 GW solar module and cell plants in the U.S., accelerating expansion amid potential global trade tariff increases on imports. Details are here. Manufacturing Dive

ICYMI

Check out this edition of Ben Thinking, a manufacturing- and marketing-focused newsletter from the brain of Ben Brugler , the CEO of Akhia , and sign up!

This one is great: Don’t lose sight of #ManufacturingMonth coming in October. The incomparable Nancy Spatholt offers some suggestions about how to make the month, which celebrates manufacturing in all its forms, work for your solar manufacturing business. Nancy is a passionate advocate for manufacturers everywhere, so you know she comes from a place of love.

Nancy’s been busy: She also penned this piece on finding the right marketing firm for your manufacturing company. Nancy has some great advice.

Oh, and don’t forget to sign up to receive this newsletter each month and share it with any colleagues that are interested in the solar manufacturing space. You know you want to!

If you’re a solar manufacturer and have news to share, you can send it my way at [email protected]. Until next month!