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Glass shortage in China hurts solar energy industry
The shortage of glass for solar panel production, which is already hurting China's solar panel production, is expected to persist into the first half of this year. Driven by the growing preference for bifacial modules – which produce power from both sides of the panel – and larger panels, demand is outpacing the addition of production capacity, they say. An installation run in the last quarter of the year made the deficit worse.
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“In the short term we can do nothing. We just accept the high price of solar glass… Now the shortage has lessened, but it is because module manufacturers have adjusted capacities, delayed sales and reduced revenues”.
China is the world's largest manufacturer of solar energy products, with nearly 80% of the world's solar panel production capacity in 2019.
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Bifacial Panels
Demand for glass from China has also been increasing in the solar energy industry due to the growing prominence of bifacial panels, which cover the top and bottom with glass, allowing for a slight increase in power generation from sunlight reflected off the ground.
These solar panels are expected to account for half of the market by 2022, up from about 14% last year, according to analysts at China's Sunwah Kingsway.
China's solar glass manufacturers have soared this year, with the Xinyi Solar Holdings Ltd.. more than doubling and Flat Glass Group Co. nearly quadrupling in market value in Hong Kong. Stocks plummeted on Wednesday as speculation that capacity controls could be lifted and a Democratic victory in the US election failed to materialize.
