To avoid a global climate catastrophe we need to triple the amount of global renewable energy by 2030. About half of this is expected to come from solar. And, since 2006, the solar panels China has produced account for 70-80 percent of the total, global GW of the installed capacity today. But China is also getting the most pushback from the U.S. and Europe. What’s happening here? Why is China leading and why, given the crisis we are in, do some see that as a problem?
Part 1 – The Current Status
China leads the global solar supply chain. The top 10 suppliers of solar manufacturing equipment are also Chinese companies. Almost all the world’s silicon wafers, the most important part of solar panels, come from China. This means that China has a vast superiority when manufacturing solar at scale and cost.
So, Chinese panels are 35 to 50 percent cheaper than those made in Europe. And the quality is …