Clean Energy Associates (CEA)

Our latest pv magazine Global test results are in! 📊 The average bifacial boost was 8.97% for August 2024. TOPCon continues to have a higher bifacial boost than heterojunction (HJT), but more HJT products are needed to be studied over time to draw conclusions. 🌞🔋 View the complete test results below. 🌍 #PVmagazine #SolarEnergy #BifacialBoost #RenewableEnergy #SolarTech #EnergyEfficiency #CleanEnergy #SustainableFuture

Join our Vice President of Marketing, Jake Edie, at the IECON 2024 conference in Chicago on November 5th! He will moderate the panel “Overview of U.S. supply chain dynamics and policy drivers for lithium-ion batteries.”   He’ll be joined by Said Al-Hallaj from Beam Global, Priyam Parikh Ganesan from Invenergy and Troy Miller from GE Vernova.   The panel discussion will be focused on the ongoing transition of global energy storage supply chains. Energy storage technologies have become a focus for policymakers, with dual (and sometimes competing) objectives. Many new policies feature attractive incentives that reduce the cost of deploying grid-connected energy storage systems. Other policies incentivize domestic manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries through subsidies for domestic content and increased tariffs for imported products. This confluence of market drivers and policy incentives has resulted in rapid growth in installation demand and announcements of new U.S. manufacturing facilities. These changes have significantly impacted the costs, risks, and sourcing strategies for integrators, buyers, and owners.   The discussion will include a summary of the recent policy changes and the rapidly changing global manufacturing base. Large-scale buyers of lithium-ion batteries will discuss how these recent changes have impacted their short-term decision-making and long-term strategic direction.  📊   Find out more by clicking the link in the comments! 👇   #EnergyStorage #SupplyChain #LithiumIonBatteries #IECON2024 #CleanEnergyAssociates #Sustainability #PolicyDrivers #Manufacturing #Innovation #CEA #BeamGlobal #GEVernova #Invenergy

We’re excited to celebrate 16 years of Clean Energy Associates this month! 🎉   For the past decade and a half, we’ve been committed to helping our clients deploy #solar and #storage solutions worldwide, driving a cleaner and more sustainable future.   We sincerely thank our customers and industry partners for their trust and partnership. And to our fantastic team, your unwavering dedication has been the cornerstone of our success. We couldn’t have done it without you.   Here’s to many more years of leadership in the #cleanenergyindustry! 🚀   #CleanEnergyAssociates #SolarPower #EnergyStorage #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #GreenEnergy #ClimateAction #SustainableFuture #CleanTech

On October 15, 2024, Hounen and Solar Long withdrew from the U.S. “Solar 3” anti-dumping (AD) investigation. The two companies were designated as mandatory respondents for Cambodia, and thus CEA expects the U.S. Commerce Department to apply adverse facts available (AFA). Consequently, CEA expects very high duty rates to be applied to Hounen and Solar Long. Considering their status as mandatory respondents, the application of AFA to both parties implies AFA rates will likely be extended to all other non-named suppliers in Cambodia. If all mandatory respondents within a given country receive either de minimis, zero, or AFA rates, then Commerce permits the use of “any reasonable method” for calculating AD and CVD rates. In multiple U.S. AD/CVD cases including the Steel Nails CVD case in Vietnam, U.S. Commerce Department has applied AFA rates on a country-wide basis when all mandatory respondents received AFA rates. As such CEA expects Commerce to assign very high duty rates to all producers in Cambodia. If your company is buying PV modules with cells made in Cambodia that are scheduled to arrive in the United States on or after December 2, 2024, we recommend that you contact us: https://lnkd.in/gU_NX6pX Our team of supply chain experts will be glad to assist you.

In recent months, the U.S. has implemented higher tariff rates on various products within the EV and battery energy storage supply chains. Most of these tariff rate increases have taken effect in 2024, except for the increased tariff rates on non-EV lithium-ion batteries and natural graphite, which won’t take effect until 2026. This timeline allows storage OEMs, integrators, and developers a window of time to adapt to the new U.S. tariffs. Each of these groups faces different challenges that they must address to plan effectively for the upcoming changes. 🔹 OEMs must figure out how to continue capturing the growing US ESS market opportunity. 🔹 Integrators must determine where productized storage can reduce tariff exposure without jeopardizing customers’ project economics. 🔹 Developers need to understand whether the new 301 tariffs mark the beginning of a procurement free-for-all.   In our recent webinar with Canary Media Inc., our specialists Daniel Finn-Foley and Aaron Marks provide solutions to these questions and share insights about the potential of renewed investment in raw material production to meet the increasing demand from OEMs. They also discuss the likelihood of domestic content in battery energy storage systems, among other things, by sharing findings from our latest studies.   To watch the full webinar, please refer to the link in the comment section. 🚀    #BatteryStorage #CleanEnergyAssociates #SupplyChain #LithiumIon #USPolicy #DomesticContent #RawMaterials #EnergyStorage 

📢 Our Senior Policy Analyst, Christian Roselund is set to join a panel of industry experts at pv magazine Global USA Week to tackle some of the most pressing topics in U.S. manufacturing and trade policies. The session will take place on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 10:00 AM EDT / 04:00 PM CET. Christian will bring his deep expertise to the discussion, helping attendees navigate the complex landscape of renewable energy procurement, shifting trade policies, and their impact on domestic manufacturing. Joining him will be Michael Carr, Scott Wharton, John Smirnow, Craig W., and Christopher Colavito, REP. They’ll discuss critical issues such as the elevated prices in the U.S. due to current trade policies and focus on understanding the current and future domestic manufacturing landscape. Don’t miss out on this valuable session! To register, click the first link in the comment section. 🔗⬇️ #RenewableEnergy #TradePolicies #USManufacturing #PolicyUpdates #pvMagazineUSA #IndustryInsights #CleanEnergyAssociates #ChristianRoselund

Join us at the Reliable PV Module Design Conference tomorrow! Our Director of Engineering Services and QA Services, Jörg Althaus, will present field findings of PV module reliability issues. 🛠️🔍 Jörg will share insights from three case studies: 🧩 Cold Soldering: Discover how production issues can lead to soldering anomalies and potential long-term reliability problems. 🔥 Junction Box Thermal Events: Learn about the increasing number of thermal events and the QA measures needed to address them. 🪟 Glass Breakage: Understand the rise in glass breakage incidents and the importance of module choice and maintenance practices. Click the comments below to register!🔗 ⬇️ #PVModules #Reliability #SolarEnergy #Conference #ExpertTalk #TaiyangNews #CEA #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability

📢 Read our new report on the most common issues we see in PV module factories 📢 Quality problems in PV module factories can lead to performance and safety risks in the field, ultimately affecting the success and profitability of a solar project. In the past 8 years, CEA has conducted over 70,000 quality inspections in 300+ PV module factories. Our new in-depth report summarizes all of our inspection results from 2020-2024. Our findings reveal that PV module projects face more quality challenges than buyers may expect, which can significantly impact a project's bottom line. Our key findings include: ⚠️ Nearly 60% of factories received a high-risk quality rating or worse ⚠️ New production lines presented significantly higher risks ⚠️ The most critical problems were concentrated in the early stages of production Ready to dive in to the details? 💡 Find the full report in the comments 👇

Prices are plummeting in the rapidly evolving solar and energy storage markets. However, it’s essential not to be lured solely by low costs without considering quality.    At CEA, we’ve witnessed how prioritizing prices can lead to significant challenges. Our Vice President of Marketing, Jake Edie, recently wrote an article featured in Solar Power World highlighting critical red flags for buyers.    Ensuring supplier quality assurance is crucial, and it's essential to insist on third-party quality assurance oversight, as suppliers who resist this may compromise product quality. Factory consistency is also vital; new factories can face initial hurdles, so it's better to opt for established facilities to avoid defects and shipping delays.     When it comes to warranty terms, beware of vague or inflexible conditions, as a straightforward warranty process can prevent future headaches. Integration challenges, including warranties and performance guarantees, should be understood thoroughly since multiple independent warranties can be confusing. Finally, a well-defined bill of materials (BOM) is necessary to maintain consistent performance.    Remember, while low prices are enticing, maintaining high standards in supplier selection, product quality, and installation is paramount. Check the comments below for a link to the full article. 🔗⬇️    #SolarPower #EnergyStorage #QualityAssurance #SupplyChain #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #CleanEnergyAssociates  

China continues to lead in the rapidly evolving world of battery storage, supplying 81% of the global lithium battery market and significantly impacting global prices. According to a recent Goldman Sachs report, China’s excess capacity has driven lithium battery prices down by 45% in the first quarter of 2024.    Daniel Finn-Foley, Director of Energy Storage at Clean Energy Associates, offers a balanced perspective in a recent interview with Latitude Media.    Dan highlights that manufacturers will adjust their production, creating opportunities for supply and demand to meet in the middle. The Goldman Sachs report also predicts a recovery starting in 2024, with a rebalancing of supply and demand and a deceleration of Chinese supply through 2028.    Moreover, U.S. tariffs and incentives are crucial. Increased tariffs on lithium-ion batteries and significant investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Defense Production Act are expected to boost domestic manufacturing capacity.    Dan notes that these strategic measures could help the U.S. market become more competitive with Chinese cells within the next two years.    As we navigate these market dynamics, it’s clear that strategic adjustments and supportive policies will be vital in fostering a resilient and competitive battery sector in the U.S.    To read the full article, click the first link in the comments.    #BatteryStorage #EnergyTransition #CleanEnergy #LithiumBatteries #MarketInsights #Sustainability