The IRA was designed in large part to bolster domestic production of renewable energy and spur investments in a secure and transparent PV supply chain. The recently released guidelines for the U.S. Department of the Treasury's #45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit should therefore go further than they do. Specifically, they should consider all integral aspects of a domestic solar module value chain. The guidelines focus on domestic manufacturing of solar modules but should do more to ensure those modules aren’t made up of foreign materials. Without onshoring our production of module frames, American module companies will remain reliant upon foreign supply chains and often subpar materials.
American-made steel, for example, stands ready to supply several components of the solar module and PV plant including frames, trackers, and rackers. Domestically produced module components eliminate foreign supply chain risks and create manufacturing jobs at home. Steel also maximizes the structural performance of the entire panel, thus ensuring the quality of the American-made modules.
Giovanni Bertolino at 3SUN said it well in this PV Tech piece. The #IRA credits can go further to reshore the entire solar supply chain.
Senior Latin America Manager at Risen Energy Co. Ltda
3w😍