One of the rare things I remain optimistic about: The current material shortages (in this case: fucking sand) seem to be caused by Corona delays as the economy is bouncing back much faster than...
One of the rare things I remain optimistic about: The current material shortages (in this case: fucking sand) seem to be caused by Corona delays as the economy is bouncing back much faster than anticipated. For example, I read something about the chip shortage being caused by a lot of producers cancelling their orders in 2020 and now scrambling to get them back in, only to find themselves in a 6 months queue.
Solar module prices have risen 18% since the start of the year after falling by 90% over the previous decade. The reversal, fueled by a quadrupling in the cost of the key raw material polysilicon, threatens to delay projects and slow uptake of solar power just as several major governments are finally throwing their weight behind it in an effort to slow climate change.
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Higher prices are affecting demand and may delay some large-scale projects, panel-maker Canadian Solar Inc. said on an earnings call on Thursday. In India, about 10 gigawatts of projects may be impacted, equivalent to more than a quarter of the country’s current capacity, Mint reported, citing unnamed developers. Large-scale projects in the U.S. could also get postponed, analysts at Cowen & Co. said.
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At the center of the crisis is polysilicon, an ultra-refined form of silicon, one of the most abundant materials on Earth that’s commonly found in beach sand. As the solar industry geared up to meet an expected surge in demand for modules, makers of polysilicon were unable to keep up. Prices for the purified metalloid have touched $25.88 a kilogram, from $6.19 less than a year ago, according to PVInsights.
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Prices for steel, aluminum, and copper are also up, as are freight charges. Solar-microinverter supplier Enphase Energy Inc., said it expects its shipment volumes to be constrained by semiconductor-component availability.
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Longer-term, the shortages are spurring construction of new polysilicon factories, including an announcement this month of what would be the largest facility in the world in China.
One of the rare things I remain optimistic about: The current material shortages (in this case: fucking sand) seem to be caused by Corona delays as the economy is bouncing back much faster than anticipated. For example, I read something about the chip shortage being caused by a lot of producers cancelling their orders in 2020 and now scrambling to get them back in, only to find themselves in a 6 months queue.
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