@Group14Tech
David Foster at @thehill discusses how electrification can promote sustainable, blue-collar jobs if backed by policy and collaboration. At Group14, we’re lucky to be based in Washington, a state with strong climate goals backed by supportive policies

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/3264448-the-opportunity-of-transportation-electrification/

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/3265439-forget-manchin-go-around-him-to-pass-a-climate-bill/

Polysilicon Chip Market to enjoy explosive growth | REC Silicon, Sunlux Energy, Mei, etc.
https://energysiren.co.ke/2022/04/13/polysilicon-chip-market-to-enjoy-explosive-growth-rec-silicon-sunlux-energy-mei-etc/
APRIL 12, 2022

Global Polysilicon Chip Market Size, Share, Trends, And Report From 2022 to 2031
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-polysilicon-chip-market-size-share-trends-and-report-from-2022-to-2031-2022-04-12?mod=search_headline
APRIL 12, 2022

Solar Power Is the Latest Industry Hit by China’s Pandemic Curbs
https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/solar-power-is-the-latest-industry-hit-by-china-s-pandemic-curbs
APRIL 13, 2022
"
...
Solar companies are seeing a “severe impact” on both panel production and installations from the most recent round of virus outbreaks in China, according to a survey conducted by the Shanghai Solar Energy Society. More than half of respondents noted negative impacts, according to the group, which did not name the companies. Wafer production has been suspended in some factories in the coastal reg

Wafer production has been suspended in some factories in the coastal region close to Shanghai, driving up prices in recent weeks, Jefferies analysts including Johnson Wan said in an April 10 note. Domestic shipping of polysilicon, a key solar manufacturing material, has also faced delays due to outbreaks in the major sourcing region of Xinjiang, the analysts said.
...
"

Tight supply i Kina, betyder tight supply i resten af verden

Efterspørgslen går op på energi, især grøn

Section 201, AD/CVD og Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention act lægger yderligere pres/omkostninger på de paneler der formår at blive sendt afsted til US

Fragtomkostninger er høje

Hvis solar skal forblive den billigste energiløsning, skal udbuddet diversificeres. Især når renter også sættes op.

Jo flere negative der kan streges af, jo mere lukrativt bliver eventyret. Lokal produktion undgår nogle af disse heldigvis - men omstændighederne varer næppe evigt. SEMA vil sikre gode omstændigheder i mange år. Det burde også øge viljen til at betale den store upfront cost som kræves.

Super spændende tider (:

Surging Renewable Power Prices in Europe Are Still a Bargain
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-13/surging-renewable-power-prices-in-europe-are-still-a-bargain
APRIL 13, 2022

Global renewable power prices soar on heavy demand, chaotic supply chain
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/global-renewable-power-prices-soar-heavy-demand-chaotic-supply-chain-2022-04-13/
APRIL 13, 2022
"
..
April 13 (Reuters) - Prices for wind and solar power in major global markets have climbed nearly 30% in a year as developers have struggled with chaotic supply chains and surging costs for everything from shipping to parts to labor, according to a report published on Wednesday.

Contract prices for renewables jumped 28.5% in North America and 27.5% in Europe in the last year, according to a quarterly index by LevelTen Energy that tracks the deals, known in the industry as power purchase agreements (PPAs).

..

For now, soaring prices have not slowed demand, LevelTen said. In a poll the company conducted of 21 sustainability and energy advisers, 75% said their clients have accelerated or maintained procurement plans, according to the report.

"It's not about demand," Luigi Sacco, head of PPA origination at Milan-based Falck Renewables, said. "Demand is there but supply is struggling a bit in several markets."

One factor luring buyers to renewables is the soaring cost of fossil fuels.

"The ready alternative to renewable generation right now is gas, and gas prices are up 100% as well," Farr said. "So you pick your poison."
"

EU adopts directive allowing reduced VAT on several goods, including solar panels
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/04/13/eu-adopts-directive-allowing-reduced-vat-on-several-goods-including-solar-panels/
APRIL 13, 2022

Vincent Pluvinage, Phd
CEO OneD Battery S.

Today, a few EVs have batteries with a small amount (<10%) of silicon oxide in the anode (for example, the Tesla 3 & Y and Porsche Taycan).

Thanks to more silicon in EV cells, the next generation of EVs will have significantly longer range & lighter battery pack that safely charge much faster & cost less.

The OneD Battery Sciences R&D team, led by CTO Yimin Zhu, invented and perfected the best ways to do that: the SINANODE technology platform. This required a new thinking for efficiently adding silicon nano-structures to carbon substrates.

One of the key inventions is described in the Japanese patent summarized in these few slides (the IP portfolio now counts more than 220 granted patents). This invention pre-dates most alternative silicon solutions. During the last decade, the manufacturing process has been perfected to offer scale at the lowest cost.

Much like the iPhone eliminated the physical keyboard to increase uses of the screen on early smart phones (something counter-intuitive in 2007), the SINANODE technology simplifies the way silicon is added to EV cells to increase its benefits:

SILICON ACCESSIBLE: the silicon nano-structures are directly accessible to the lithium ions, without creating losses by encapsulating silicon inside an artificial shell, which restrict the ionic flows during cycling.

SILICON CONNECTED: the silicon nano-structures are electrically connected to the graphite particles (whether on the outside surfaces or inside the pores), without requiring special polymers, which add weight & cost.

SILICON ENABLED: the SINANODE materials are tuned to enable new dry electrode coating and multi-layer anodes to decrease inactive materials & cell manufacturing costs while increasing performance.

Together, we call these three characteristics "Silicon Simplified"

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vincentpluvinage_oned-silicon-anode-korean-granted-patent-activity-6919022956882927616-IEtw?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=ios_app

Is the end of high US solar system prices in sight?
https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/is-the-end-of-high-us-solar-system-prices-in-sight/
APRIL 13, 2022
"
A perfect storm for US solar system prices
The pandemic brought considerable challenges across all US solar market segments. The most immediate effect was the disruption of the entire supply chain, which led to increased freight costs and longer lead times. Elevated commodity prices, such as steel, aluminum, and copper will remain high in the face of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, continuing to squeeze already-tight developers’ margins. Labor shortages driven by the ‘Great resignation’ from 2021 will drag on 2022 and increase development costs.

Other soft costs, such as margins, contingencies, insurance costs and project management fees have also increased due to all the risks associated with project development in this uncertain environment.

..
"

Tech in the Mountain West crucial to microchip expansion, Commerce Secretary. Raimondo says

Calling the United States dangerously short on microchips and overly reliant on foreign suppliers, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Wednesday advocated for a manufacturing expansion bill beneficial to the tech economy of the Rocky Mountain West, including Montana.

In a press call with reporters from Montana, Idaho, Utah and Washington, Raimondo said the chip shortage is as bad as it’s ever been, posing a threat to the manufacture of military equipment, farm machinery and automobiles. The only way out, the secretary said, is expanding U.S. production of microchips, or semiconductors.

Congress is currently reconciling two bills getting at the same chip problem. Both the House and the Senate passed versions in recent weeks. Included is $52 billion directed to the Department of Commerce for fostering semiconductor production in the United States.


“The semiconductor shortage is really at a crisis level. A couple of years ago, the median inventory of semiconductors in the United States was about 40 days. Today, it's fewer than five days,” Raimondo said. “Even more alarmingly, 90% of the world's most sophisticated chips are made in Taiwan, actually a single company in Taiwan. It is those chips that we need for military equipment, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, communication devices, and they're almost all made in Taiwan. Our extreme dependence on other countries for semiconductors means that we're very vulnerable.”

Significant to Montana is support for silane gas production. The world’s largest supplier of the gas, used in semiconductors, flat screen monitors and solar panels, is a factory on the outskirts of Butte. REC Silicon employs nearly 300 people at the facility, according to the company’s website. REC has been on the White House’s radar as early as the second quarter of 2021 when in its 100-day supply chain review the Biden administration recognized the potential for domestic expansion of silane gas production, but noted that trade moves by China had hobbled the industry. Three other manufactures in the United States were also identified at that time.

Since 2014, China has spent about $150 billion subsidizing their chip companies. And so, what we are saying is, we have to level the playing field,” Raimondo said. “So our companies can compete, some of that is trade remedies, but a lot of that is making these investments. The $52 billion in the Chips Act, which we need Congress to pass, gives our companies a fighting chance against what China is doing.”

Semiconductors are a primary driver of silane gas demand, but so are next-generation batteries using silicon anodes.

In a roundtable discussion with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm last June, REC Silicon Vice President Chuck Sutton said the United States had the ingredients to be a leading developer and manufacturer of lithium batteries, but that government support was needed. Otherwise, the batteries would go the way of solar panel production, now dominated by China, which heavily subsidized its industry. In the discussion, reported by Energy Storage News, Sutton said the value chain couldn’t grow fast enough on its own. He said REC supported cost-sharing grants to produce the silane gas and three other ingredients essential to producing the batteries. More than loan guarantees were needed to stimulate manufacturing.

Montana’s congressional delegation was mixed in its support for the innovation bills. Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale voted against the “America Competes Act” in the House, but in the Senate both Republican Steve Daines and Democrat Jon Tester voted for a similar bill. They framed the bill as crucial for keeping the United States competitive with China. Daines said his support for the legislation extended only to the provisions in the Senate bill that were matched by the House version. He thought the House version went too far in scope and spending.

“We must keep the bi-partisan provisions to support semiconductor manufacturing, level the playing field for trade, increase IP protections for Americans, create high-paying tech jobs and advance research in states like Montana that are leading the quantum computing revolution,” Daines said in a press release after the vote.

Tester was appointed April 7 to the conference committee to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate bills. When the committee post was announced, he said the United States needed to strengthen its supply chain if it was to remain the leader of the free world.

https://billingsgazette.com/news/tech-in-the-mountain-west-crucial-to-microchip-expansion-commerce-sec-raimondo-says/article_4ce57971-40f5-527c-a0f6-eccf87d8375c.html

Det måste väl komma någon form av genombrott för SEMA, Competes Act, Chip act, BBB, reconciliation bill, etc. Biden måste åstadkomma något.

Finns det några viktiga datum att ha koll på?

8. november i år er det mellomvalg til Kongressen i USA, midt i president Joe Bidens første presidentperiode. Alle de 435 setene i Representantenes hus og 34 av de 100 setene i Senatet er på valg.
https://www.dagsavisen.no/debatt/kommentar/2022/01/03/tre-scenarioer-for-mellomvalget-i-2022/

NexWafe Closes Series C Investment Round
https://newsdirect.com/news/nexwafe-closes-series-c-investment-round-740844881
APRIL 14, 2022

Apple helps suppliers rapidly accelerate renewable energy use around the world
https://www.apple.com/ma/newsroom/2022/04/apple-helps-suppliers-rapidly-accelerate-renewable-energy-use-around-the-world/
APRIL 14, 2022

Chinese PV Industry Brief: Polysilicon prices keep rising
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/04/15/chinese-pv-industry-brief-polysilicon-prices-keep-rising-2/
ARPIL 14, 2022

S. Korea decides to join CPTPP trade agreement
https://m-en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220415009000320
APRIL 15, 2022

Democrats prepare to take second run at Biden spending plan
BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 04/18/22 5:15 AM ET

https://thehill.com/news/senate/3270269-democrats-prepare-to-take-second-run-at-biden-spending-plan/

Manchin has engaged in informal talks. Though cautioning that he’ll talk with anyone, and formal, serious negotiations haven’t yet started, he’s sketched out what he wants to see in a smaller package: An overhaul of the 2017 GOP tax bill including raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations, as well as prescription drug reforms and an energy and climate package.

He’s also making it clear that his colleagues would have to drop some of their pet projects, saying during a recent Hoppy Kercheval interview that “we’re not going down the social [programs] path in reconciliation.”

“I’m happy to talk to you about a good tax package,” Manchin said. “I’m happy to talk to you about a climate package, an energy, climate package, but …you can’t basically just beat the living crap out of the engine that runs the train, pulls the train, which is the fossils right now as we transition.”

Manchin is also concerned about inflation, which has only increased since Build Back Better collapsed last year and is the biggest political wind now pushing against the party. Manchin wants half of any new revenue from a spending bill to go toward deficit reduction.

Same - Same- .

Tror nok Hanwha har luktet dette og derfor velger de tyskerne in i Rec styret.

The German government has introduced its so-called EEG Easter package to facilitate faster expansion of photovoltaics and wind power.

The new provisions identify new areas for the deployment of PV and support the participation of municipalities in existing solar and wind parks. In addition, the government wants to streamline the planning and approval procedures and push ahead with grid expansion. Renewables will prioritized in a future version of Germany's renewable energy law, the EEG.

In line with the higher expansion targets, the capacity to be allocated in the tenders for photovoltaics and wind power will be expanded significantly. The aim is to raise the expansion of PV to a level of 22GW by 2023 and then to keep it stable in the years that follow. This could lead to a cumulative installed PV capacity of 215GW in Germany by 2030, divided as evenly as possible between rooftops and open spaces.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/04/06/germany-introduces-new-provisions-to-support-solar-wind/

7 Reasons Senate Democrats Must Prioritize Ambitious Climate Investments After Recess

When the Senate returns from recess in two weeks, getting the $555 billion climate package passed must be their top priority. Failure is not an option.

Monday, April 18, 2022

https://www.evergreenaction.com/blog/7-reasons-senate-democrats-must-prioritize-ambitious-climate-investments-after-recess?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ajp

Solar raw materials: A real challenge for Europe on the way towards net zero
https://www.woodmac.com/reports/metals-solar-raw-materials-a-real-challenge-for-europe-on-the-way-towards-net-zero-150022933
APRIL 18, 2022

There’s No Place Like a Supply Chain Close to Home
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-04-19/europe-wants-its-supply-chains-close-to-home-but-it-s-complicated
APRIL 19, 2022

Chipmakers lift S.Korean stocks 1% higher on overnight U.S. semiconductor gains
https://www.reuters.com/article/southkorea-markets-midday/chipmakers-lift-s-korean-stocks-1-higher-on-overnight-u-s-semiconductor-gains-idUSL2N2WH037
APRIL 19, 2022
“..
** Investor sentiment on semiconductor industry improved as the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index surged nearly 2% overnight on the Wall Street amid a positive earnings season so far, said Kiwoom Securities' analyst Kim Sae-hun.
..”

https://www.automotiveworld.com/articles/silicon-nanowires-a-breakthrough-for-electric-future-says-karl-thomas-neumann/

Hanwha Qcells Retains No.1 Market Share Spot in U.S. Residential and Commercial PV Module Segments
https://m.hanwha.com/en/news_and_media/press_release/hanwha-qcells-retains-no1-market-share-spot-in-us-residential-and-commercial-pv-module-segments.html
APRIL 19, 2022
“..

Hanwha Qcells’ long-haul commitment to the U.S. market

Alongside its leading market performance, Hanwha Qcells has achieved milestones solidifying its longstanding commitment to the U.S. market. With the inauguration of its Dalton, Georgia manufacturing facility, the largest module production plant in America, Hanwha Qcells provides up to 1.7 GW of domestically assembled modules annually to the U.S. solar market. Hanwha Qcells’ commitment to the U.S. also extends to its module distribution and fulfillment as well as its growing integrated energy solutions for the residential, commercial and utility solar sectors.

Most recently, Hanwha Qcells’ parent company, Hanwha Solutions, announced plans to launch a multi-billion-dollar expansion to secure capabilities across the full solar value chain including domestically sourced raw materials such as low-carbon polysilicon. This initiative, which would benefit significantly from the passing of the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act (SEMA) and smart trade policy, will secure Hanwha Qcells with full control of its solar supply chain while creating thousands of well-paying jobs in the U.S.

Justin Lee, CEO of Hanwha Qcells, said: “Hanwha Qcells is proud to retain the No.1 market share position in the U.S. residential and commercial PV module sectors. Our consistent market leadership in these two segments is made possible by the support and loyalty of our valued customers. Hanwha Qcells will keep reaching to greater heights and strive to continue being the dependable choice for the U.S. market.”
..”

OMCO Solar Invests $5 Million in US Manufacturing
https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/pv_solar/omco-solar-invests-5-million-in-us-20220418
APRIL 18, 2022

Vær obs på følgende:

“..

This initiative, which would benefit significantly from the passing of the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act (SEMA) and smart trade policy, will secure Hanwha Qcells with full control of its solar supply chain while creating thousands of well-paying jobs in the U.S.

..”

Det kommer til at ske uanset - SEMA er godt, men ikke nødvendigt.

Senate’s bipartisan innovation bill key to US leadership in 21st century technologies
https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/3272583-senates-bipartisan-innovation-bill-key-to-us-leadership-in-21st-century-technologies/amp/
APRIL 19, 2022

Dette er mounts, men sætter stadig en præcedens

Commerce Properly Denied Solar Panel Mounts Finished Goods Exclusion, DOJ Tells CAFC
https://tradelawdaily.com/news/2022/04/19/Commerce-Properly-Denied-Solar-Panel-Mounts-Finished-Goods-Exclusion-DOJ-Tells-CAFC-2204180037
APRIL 19, 2022

Loan commitment could bump U.S. battery market
https://www.axios.com/battery-market-bump-energy-department-loan-5c713998-5e49-4973-a776-3237a7484736.html
APRIL 19, 2022
"
..
The U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office (LPO) on Monday announced a conditional commitment to lend up to $107 million to expand production capacity for a critical minerals plant in Louisiana.

Why it matters: The loan, if finalized, would mark the first in more than a decade from the office's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program.

It would also be ATVM's first loan to support a supply chain manufacturing project, the LPO said.
..
"

Meyer Burger Technology AG
9.425 følgere
3d • 3 dage siden

Paving the way for the expansion of renewables: The German government's Easter package focuses on the expansion of #renewableenergy and sets important targets for Germany's energy policy future. The share of #renewablernergies in gross electricity consumption is to account for a full 80 percent by 2030. The share of #solarenergy is to almost quadruple: to 215 GW. To this end, additional areas of Agri #photovoltaics and peatland #PV are to secure the #solar power share in the energy mix. In addition, citizen energy projects are supposed to be realized without tenders. Even though not all eggs have been found yet in this Easter basket, the package represents an important step into the right direction. We can already say today: 2022 is a turning point in the history of energy policy. And #MeyerBurger is part of it, pushing #energytransition. With our ongoing capacity expansion, we are trying to support the ambitious #renewableenergy goals in the best possible way.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/meyer-burger-technology-ag_renewableenergy-renewablernergies-solarenergy-activity-6921003716342935552-uHs_?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web

Supply chain problems push many solar project deadlines to 2025 or later
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2022/04/supply-chain-problems-push-solar-project-deadlines-2025/
ARPIL 19, 2022

The Edison Energy Renewables Market Update Q1 - 2022
https://www.edisonenergy.com/renewables-market-update-q12022/
APRIL 19, 2022

Solar power is expanding rapidly across the U.S., which now has a total of 121.4 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity — or enough to power more than 23 million homes, according to the eighth edition of the Shining Cities survey, published by the Environment California Research & Policy Center. The amount of solar power installed in just nine U.S. cities now exceeds the total amount installed in the entire country a decade ago, the report found.


https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/3272496-los-angeles-honolulu-leading-us-cities-in-solar-power-generation-report/

NexWafe working on technology development after closing Series C funding round
https://www.pv-tech.org/nexwafe-working-on-technology-development-after-closing-series-c-funding-round/
APRIL 19, 2022

Polysilicon maker predicts 5-year shortage of solar raw material
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/04/20/polysilicon-maker-predicts-5-year-shortage-of-solar-raw-material/
APRIL 20, 2022

Dette er andre ord en ANALytikerene som så for seg fullstendig mettet marked etter sommeren........

Amid record demand for renewable energy, supply challenges continue to push prices higher and due dates later in U.S. and Europe
https://www.edisonenergy.com/news/amid-record-demand-for-renewable-energy-supply-challenges-continue-to-push-prices-higher-and-due-dates-later-in-u-s-and-europe/
APRIL 19, 2022

Jeg havde også lige denne her, som dagens sidste :)

US utility-scale solar: will policy power a rebound?
https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/us-utility-scale-solar-will-policy-power-a-rebound/
APRIL 19, 2022
"
..
Despite trade uncertainty and supply chain constraints, the US utility-scale solar segment continued its growing trend in Q4 2021. With 5.9 GW of capacity installed, the total 2021 buildout reached 17 GW.

Our latest US utility-scale solar PV market update shows that total forecasted buildout is expected to reach 172 GW by 2027 – if the climate provisions in the Build Back Better Act are passed later this year.

In this video, Research Associate Matthew Sahd and Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Senior Analyst, North America Utility-Scale Solar share a few highlights from the report. This includes:

- Factors driving utility-scale solar development in the US

- Headwinds leading to delayed capacity

- How these headwinds are affecting the forecast – and how policy changes could change the picture.
..
"

US solar PV capacity to continue to rise; likewise supply chain fears
https://cleanenergynews.ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/us-solar-pv-capacity-to-continue-to-rise-likewise-supply-chain.html
APRIL 20, 2022

Hanwha Solutions plans to set up PV material factory in US
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20220420PD201/hanwha-q-cells.html?chid=13
APRIL 21, 2022