Adam Farkes and Leo Azevedo of BNRG on the solar power project in Augusta, Maine. A major project planned on the far side of the fence stands as a result of federal business investigations.
Fred Bever / Maine Public
State solar industries are in limbo
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Adam Farkes and Leo Azevedo of BNRG on the solar power project in Augusta, Maine. A major project planned on the far side of the fence stands as a result of federal business investigations.
Hundreds of large solar power projects have been held in the U.S. while the industry is awaiting the outcome of a government investigation into potential commercial offenses related to solar panels purchased from Asian retailers.
Researchers in the Department of Commerce hope to find out if Chinese manufacturers are violating US long-term labor laws regarding the export of sunscreen from China through participating devices in four nearby countries – Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam – where panels are assembled for export to the U.S.
The four central countries in the study account for more than 80% of solar panels, according to the American Clean Power Association.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), a Washington, DC-based business opposition group, says the forecast for sunset for 2022 and 2023 has dropped by 46% due to concerns about that question – although other pressures include epidemic supply issues. can play a role.
The group estimates a 24 gigawatt reduction for solar energy planned for the next two years – more than the industry set for 2021 as a whole.
Maine, the latest climate policies and incentives have boosted solar development. In just two years, most of the country’s hills have already produced long lines of sunlight.
Now, some developers say they have to press the pause button in the new building.
During a visit to a 40-acre [35 ha] site outside the capital August, Leo Azevedo, the procurement manager of an Irish company called BNRG, showed the newly developed 9 varieties. -megawatt can run more than 1,500 houses. Thanks to part of the low-cost solar modules from Southeast Asia, electricity will cost the Mainers less than half the rate that most of them pay for more fuel-efficient electricity. old.
But beyond the long fence, there is a bigger project that would bring electricity to Maine customers at a much better price.
“Right now most panel makers don’t really take orders,” says Azevedo.
If the Department of Commerce finds irregularities in its investigations, Azevedo says, it has a wide range of job evaluations from the start of the April investigation – leaving foreign investors with huge debts. more than they expected when they placed their orders.
A threat to Biden’s climate goals
This investigation is a judicial process aimed at “verifying the state of business and labor in the U.S.,” said Rafael Benavides, trade correspondent. See the article : Sullivan solar power san diego. Researchers will assess whether South Asian producers will be exempt from existing export taxes based on their relationship with Chinese retailers, and if so, the rate at which each manufacturer’s products should be taxed.
“In the worst case scenario, you can imagine the latest charges up to 240%,” Azevedo said. “But we really do not know what it is. So there is a very high risk of ordering panels right now, and that ‘s just the end of it.”
In a recent industry study, the majority of U.S. solar producers they have argued that instability causes delays and cancellations, setting a carbon-free energy value of billions of dollars.
“Research alone eliminates ten years of day job growth,” says Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA. “It’s amazing.”
He says this was supposed to be the economic downturn in the day.
“We have a president who believes in climate change and to solve this problem, and we have a House and a Senate run by Democrats,” he said. “And there is a lot we can do to help solve many of the problems we have.”
The true nature of the problem is emerging. The Indiana plant said it had to postpone most of the day’s projects and would keep the coal-fired plant operating for longer than planned.
The cost of solar energy has dropped dramatically in the past decade, and the expansion of the industry has become a rare occurrence for a president whose climate ambitions have been severely hampered by Washington’s political situation.
Biden has set a goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector by 2035 – a goal that the White House hoped to achieve with a dramatic expansion of renewable energy and carbon capture technology.
But if the government decides to levy the latest tax on the country’s most basic solar panels, the pressure generated by the supply chain may increase the costs significantly for U.S. solar installers. – and slowing down industrial growth.
Earlier this month, a coalition of 21 senators sent a letter to Biden administration asking the president to address the issue immediately.
“Already, as a result of Commerce’s decision to launch this study, industry studies show that 83% of US day companies report being notified of a canceled or supplied panel supply. slow, “wrote senators. “Unresolved, cutting off this supply of panels and cells could also result in the loss of more than 100,000 U.S. jobs, including about 18,000 production jobs.”
And other members of the Biden administration appear to be frustrated by the Department of Commerce’s research.
Probe began with a complaint from a U.S. solar panel manufacturer
Speaking before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm suggested that research is a threat to the U.S. solar industry.
“What is at stake is the complete collapse of investment and jobs and the independence that we as a society can seek to get our fuel from our resources,” Granholm said.
“Representatives of the solar industry and attorneys have informed us of these problems, and we are reviewing our options, in accordance with the requirements for the independence of such research,” said Andrew Bates, deputy White House press secretary.
A source familiar with administrative thought indicated to the NPR that although the White House was concerned about the outcome of the investigation and urged the Department of Commerce to take immediate action, the gradual decline was the result of American business making a legal complaint.
The research process, designed to detain political pressure, could take months as researchers work to understand the relationships of foreign manufacturers with Chinese retailers. The result is expected by the end of August even though the solar industry and its political allies want a quick scrutiny.
Benavides, a correspondent for Business Journalists, told NPR in a statement that although industry problems are considered part of the damage assessment process, it does not affect departmental questions or decisions.
There is also no legal provision, he said, “that would allow us to focus on political goals and priorities.”
The situation was raised by San Jose solar panel maker Auxin Solar. In February, the company filed an appeal with the Ministry of Commerce alleging that Chinese companies were undermining trade activities that should prevent foreign-backed, government-backed companies from operating. is to dump American products and reduce American producers.
“Yes, there are critical situations,” said the company’s CEO Mamun Rashid. “I’ve seen all the articles.”
Rashid has been criticized by many in the industry, but, he says, fair business is a fair business. If the Department of Commerce decides that a solar-panel playground should be set up, he says, industry and government will find a way to deal more effectively, including investing in manufacturing capacity. home panels.
What are some disadvantages of solar panels running your home?
“I think business trends will need to be re-evaluated and re-evaluated,” he said.
- But in the meantime, the latest implementation of the sector is ongoing, setting targets for climate policy, such as Maine.
- At the Maine Day Center, procurement manager Leo Azevedo said his company and partners had planned projects in the district and other areas that together could build tens of thousands of homes, without carbon, and to produce hundreds of construction projects.
- “You’re talking about 200 to 300 megawatts over the next three years at risk,” he says. So with a lot of work, a lot of cheap electricity is just in jeopardy. “
- “As you can see the weather outside is nice, but nothing is happening,” added co-worker Adam Farkes, head of construction BNRG. The company is a partner in a planned project near Augusta. Farkes is looking forward to the 87-hectare untouched site where construction work is due to begin now.
- “It seems pointless to have these climate change goals and at the same time not allow us to build anything,” he says. “We have to build.”
- Solar quality panels such as the LG type panels used by Solar Power Pros are highly resistant to hail damage. Manufacturers of solar panels test their panels to withstand 25 mm (1 inch) diameter for hailstones. Although your true roof can be easily damaged by all kinds of hailstones.
Is solar better for environment?
Solar Energy Problems
Solar does not work at night. …
Is solar actually better for the environment?
Solar panels are not attractive. …
Why is solar energy bad for the environment?
You cannot create your own home solar system yourself. …
How much better for the environment is solar power?
My roof is not suitable for the sun. …
Is solar system bad for the environment?
The sun is damaging the environment. …
Do solar panels harm the environment?
Not all solar panels are of high quality.
Why solar panels are bad for the environment?
Solar energy technology and power plants do not produce air pollution or greenhouse gases when operating. Using solar energy can have a positive, indirect effect on the environment as solar energy replaces or reduces the use of other energy sources with greater environmental impact.
What is the future outlook for solar energy?
Why does solar energy not use eco-friendly? However making all of these solar panels, Tuesday’s report shows, could have environmental problems. Making panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid, and this process uses water as well as electricity, the production of which produces greenhouse gases. It also causes dirt.
When choosing solar panels you are more environmentally friendly than energy sources that use old fuel. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory states that every household that turns to solar energy prevents the release of 7.7 tons of greenhouse gases.
Can solar energy save the world in future?
Solar energy environmental issues include loss of habitat, change in land use, pressure on water resources, exposure to hazardous substances and soil pollution, air and water resources.
Even considering the stage of production and processing of the sun, the emissions of 3x to 25x below produce the same amount of energy from fossil fuels. Reduced emissions of using solarenergy against any fossil fuels (especially coal) make the technology much more efficient.
Could solar energy save the world?
Solar panels are made of photovoltaic (PV) cells that convert sunlight into electricity. When these panels get into the trash, valuable equipment is destroyed. And because solar panels contain toxic substances such as lead that can leak out when damaged, soil erosion also poses new environmental hazards.
What is the biggest problem with solar energy?
Solar panels are made of photovoltaic (PV) cells that convert sunlight into electricity. When these panels get into the trash, valuable equipment is destroyed. And because solar panels contain toxic substances such as lead that can leak out when damaged, soil erosion also poses new environmental hazards.
What would happen if the world switched to solar energy?
When solar panels are located in the garbage, the toxic metals they contain can get into the environment and possibly endanger public health if they get into the groundwater supply .