Earlier than China dominated the photo voltaic panel trade, Germany led the best way. It was the world’s largest producer of photo voltaic panels, with a number of start-up clusters within the former East Germany, till a couple of decade in the past when China ramped up manufacturing and undercut everybody else on worth.
Now as Germany and the remainder of Europe try to succeed in formidable targets for lowering greenhouse fuel emissions, demand for photo voltaic panels has solely elevated.
Among the final remaining producers in Germany’s photo voltaic trade aren’t prepared to surrender.
They’re demanding that the federal government in Berlin provide incentives to guard producers who survive by increasing past catering to area of interest markets and making panels. They argue that Europe’s greater requirements for materials sourcing and shorter provide chains make manufacturing in Germany extra environmentally pleasant and dependable.
Not everyone seems to be satisfied that protectionism is the best way to go. Some critics notice that EU tariffs on Chinese language photo voltaic panels from 2013 to 2018 failed to guard the home trade. Others argue that reasonably priced, extensively obtainable photo voltaic panels are desperately wanted no matter their origin.
As a result of Europe relies upon “to a really vital diploma” on imported photo voltaic panels, any measure to restrict imports must be “weighed towards the aims we’ve got set ourselves relating to the power transition, ” Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for Monetary Stability. informed the European Parliament final month.
However for European photo voltaic producers, the issue has worsened over the previous yr. Not solely has China elevated its manufacturing of photo voltaic panels, however the USA has tightened its tariffs to incorporate Chinese language panels shipped to Southeast Asian international locations for remaining meeting. That has led to a flood of Chinese language panels reaching Europe at below-market costs, authorities officers and firm executives say, crushing any probability of honest competitors.
Final yr, greater than 97 p.c of photo voltaic panels put in on rooftops and farms throughout Europe have been made overseas, the bulk in China, the place low cost power and authorities assist preserve costs down.
“Chinese language opponents are at the moment providing numerous portions of their merchandise in Europe at far under their very own manufacturing prices,” stated Gunter Erfurt, chief govt of Mayer Berger, a Swiss photo voltaic power firm, in an open letter to the federal government. has gone Factories and a analysis middle in Germany.
“We’re combating for honest market circumstances, which haven’t existed for slightly below a yr,” Mr. Erfurt wrote.
Mr. Erfurt’s enchantment cited a number of different German firms concerned in photo voltaic manufacturing that each one need the federal government to assist increase the trade within the face of stiff competitors from China.
The German Photo voltaic Affiliation is asking the federal government to push via a proposed incentive, known as a “flexibility bonus,” that will pay photo voltaic panel house owners the next charge for electrical energy fed into the grid from domestically produced panels. goes
“Whereas different international locations comparable to the USA and China are strongly selling the institution and scaling up of photo voltaic gigafactories, the German authorities has but to take concrete motion,” the group warned in January.
To satisfy its formidable local weather targets, Germany must generate a further 80 gigawatts of solar energy yearly. However final yr, the nation put in sufficient to generate simply 9 gigawatts — and home photovoltaic firms say they’ve the capability to supply only one gigawatt of solar energy per yr.
This actuality has sparked a bitter dispute inside the German photo voltaic trade, the place some imagine the subsidies will do extra hurt than good.
Philipp Schroeder, a former Tesla govt who runs 1Komma5, a photo voltaic firm he co-founded, stated it acquired its elements primarily from Europe and the USA and the panels with warmth pumps, batteries and software program. has efficiently countered low-cost Chinese language panels by bundling To run your entire system. He’s towards any type of authorities help.
“The flexibleness bonus at the moment being mentioned in Germany might profit some profiteers within the brief time period, however within the medium time period it acts like an addictive drug that stifles innovation and fragments the EU market. ,” Mr. Schroeder stated in a put up. On LinkedIn.
This month, Meyer Berger deepened the controversy when he halted manufacturing at a facility in Freiburg within the japanese German state of Saxony, saying it might shift the corporate’s focus to increasing manufacturing in Arizona and Colorado. There, it might reap the benefits of US tariffs imposed on Chinese language panels and incentives provided by the US Inflation Discount Act.
“The dearth of European safeguards towards unfair competitors from China places almost 4 years of onerous work by nice staff in Europe in danger,” the board of Mayer Berger’s largest shareholder, Santis Capital Cell 3 PC, stated in a press release. . In a slap at German lawmakers, the board cited a “sturdy bipartisan dedication” in Washington “to guard U.S.-based firms from unfair competitors.”
Additional fueling anger within the photo voltaic trade are the billions in subsidies the federal government has promised to draw to different firms, together with battery maker Northvolt and microchip makers Intel and TSMC, because it seems to be stalling on the query of dealing with photo voltaic.
Sven Geigold, an undersecretary on the economic system ministry, informed reporters this month that Germany would suggest measures to “assist the native manufacturing of photo voltaic expertise,” however shortly added: “Commerce safety measures aren’t useful.”
Germany has been right here earlier than. Within the early 2000s, a mixture of presidency incentives, scientific analysis and cutting-edge expertise helped make its photo voltaic trade the world’s main producer of photovoltaic panels and expertise.
Then producers overseas, particularly China, caught on and offered the photo voltaic panels at costs decrease than these provided by the Germans. The influence was swift and brutal. Corporations like Q-Cells, Solon and SolarWorld declared chapter and disappeared. However some companies deal with assembling, putting in and integrating photo voltaic panels into complete inexperienced energy methods.
Simone Tagliapietra, senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels-based suppose tank, stated he agreed the brand new tariffs would make no sense. In an effort to obtain a safe provide of panels, in addition to to assist the inexperienced transition and financial development, he prompt that Europe ought to as an alternative assist the event of recent photo voltaic applied sciences.
“Go for the brand new era of photo voltaic panels, merchandise which might be nonetheless on the forefront of innovation,” stated Mr. Taglipietra. “If we won’t beat the Chinese language on amount, we must always attempt to beat them on high quality.”
Solarwatt, primarily based within the former East Germany, stated it might additionally must shut down one in all its photo voltaic panel vegetation. However making panels is just one a part of the corporate; It additionally makes methods that join energy generated by photo voltaic panels to wall containers that may cost vehicles and warmth pumps to warmth houses.
“The way forward for our firm shouldn’t be in danger, even when manufacturing must be stopped,” the corporate stated in a press release, including that the opposite divisions might take in about 120 individuals whose jobs could be at stake. .
Mayor Berger’s resolution to shut its plant in Freiburg has left round 500 jobs redundant. Mr. Erfurt, the corporate’s chief govt, stated the way forward for the manufacturing unit relied on Berlin’s political leaders. “However we do not see any bridges being constructed by the federal government proper now,” he stated.
On the identical time, the corporate is contemplating different choices, he stated, including, “One choice is to simply tear it down and rebuild it within the U.S.”
