That’s more than 60% below the US price of 40 cents per watt, according to the report. A year ago, Chinese panels cost 26 cents per watt. China’s price plunge gives manufacturers there an enormous advantage over rivals in places like the United States and Europe.
A year ago, Chinese panels cost 26 cents per watt. China’s price plunge gives manufacturers there an enormous advantage over rivals in places like the United States and Europe. US producers have been increasingly concerned by the wave of new factories in China, which could make their own uneconomical.
Panel production costs in the world’s largest producer of solar energy have declined a whopping 42% from year ago, dropping as low as 15 cents per watt, according to a report by energy consultant Wood Mackenzie. That’s more than 60% below the US price of 40 cents per watt, according to the report. A year ago, Chinese panels cost 26 cents per watt.
China unleashed the full might of its solar energy industry last year. It installed more solar panels than the United States has in its history. It cut the wholesale price of panels it sells by nearly half. And its exports of fully assembled solar panels climbed 38 percent while its exports of key components almost doubled.
Yet, while Chinese solar panels are 20% cheaper than their American equivalents, this number is not the difference between the success and failure of the U.S. solar energy industry. High interest rates and the permitting quagmire must also be addressed. Ending China’s dominant position in the global solar market is not possible.
The company’s U.S. projects could tap renewable energy manufacturing subsidies provided by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. China’s cost advantage is formidable. A research unit of the European Commission calculated in a report in January that Chinese companies could make solar panels for 16 to 18.9 cents per watt of generating capacity.