Comments on: Why Tariffs on Chinese Photovoltaics Could Be Bad for the Planet http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/21/why-tariffs-on-chinese-photovoltaics-could-be-bad-for-the-planet/ Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Tue, 30 Dec 2014 08:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1 By: Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/21/why-tariffs-on-chinese-photovoltaics-could-be-bad-for-the-planet/#comment-121738 Mon, 21 May 2012 23:18:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=38320#comment-121738 great summary.

and better questions.

]]> By: Bob_Wallace http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/21/why-tariffs-on-chinese-photovoltaics-could-be-bad-for-the-planet/#comment-121713 Mon, 21 May 2012 17:03:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=38320#comment-121713 “Commerce imposed preliminary margins of 31.14% for Trina Solar imports, 31.22% for Suntech, 31.18% for other Chinese manufacturers, and 249.96% for China-wide imports from companies that did not participate in the case.”
Source: Clean Technica (http://s.tt/1caAS)

So, if I’ve got this right, the price of panels from Trina and Suntech will roughly go from $1/watt to $1.30/watt. Obviously every increase hurts, but panel price is no longer the problem slowing installation rates in the US.

According to Greentech Media the price of solar is multiples of the cost of the panels.

“Residential system prices were virtually flat quarter over quarter, increasing slightly from $6.39 per watt in the first quarter to $6.42 per watt in the second quarter of 2011.” Overall average (residential, commercial and solar farm) price was $5.20/watt.

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/average-system-price-of-5.20-w/

A $0.30/watt increase for $5.20/watt systems is about 6%.

Germany has been able to get its installed rooftop rate down to $2.80/watt vs. the US rate of $5.20/watt.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/01/10/401882/germany-installed-2-gw-of-solar-pv-in-the-month-of-december/

We’ve got a problem other than panel price. A small increase in panel cost doesn’t help, but it’s not what has been slowing installation.

First Solar, a US company, has broken below the $1/watt barrier. Higher prices for Chinese panels could mean a move away from imported panels and to US manufactured thin film with raising the overall price of systems.

We need to worry less about the Chinese and worry more about why we, the Americans, cannot start to match the efficiency of the Germans.

]]> By: Matt http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/21/why-tariffs-on-chinese-photovoltaics-could-be-bad-for-the-planet/#comment-121707 Mon, 21 May 2012 15:40:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=38320#comment-121707 This is a “moral gray area”. They are so many wrongs involved here.
A) China should have done demand side support (legal) not supply side
B) US (and all developed countries) plus China (and all emerging countries) should have
– Removed support/gifts to coal/gas/oil (use this cash to increase eff and support green power) Note I would include nuclear in the remove gifts group but that is for another day.
– Carbon tax coal/gas/oil need to include external/hidden costs. Pay this cash to people. They can then either pay it back to coal/gas/oil or switch to clean options.

But since we live in a messed up world. US politians owned by coal/oil/gas; China signs WTO but ignores rules. How do we move forward?

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