As we discussed in a previous post, the International Trade Commission (ITC) found that U.S. producers are being seriously injured or are threatened with serious injury by imports of silicon photovoltaic cells and modules. As the case now advances to the remedy phase, companies, countries and trade organizations on all sides of the matter weighed in with their official recommendations for a suggested remedy.
Petitioner, Suniva, lowered the tariff suggestion from its original filing from $0.40 to a minimum of $0.24 per watt for standard crystalline silicon photovoltaic (CSPV) cells, with similar proposals from California-based manufacturer Auxin Solar and Oregon’s SolarWorld Americas.
San Antonio-based Mission Solar stopped short of recommending a tariff, instead suggesting an “economic incentive development program” with the aim of increasing U.S. solar cell manufacturing capacity. California’s SunPower noted that any measure restricting trade would not ultimately benefit U.S. manufacturers. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) also contends that trade-restrictive measures would not achieve the ultimate goal of bolstering U.S. manufacturers and instead endorse direct aid in the form of technical and/or trade-adjustment assistance.
For the most part, including foreign governments, international trade commissions and non-U.S. industry associations all favor excluding their respective countries from any final remedy. A detailed account of each organization’s suggested remedy is listed in the below table.
Party | Suggested Remedies |
8minutenergy Renewables LLC |
|
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and SunPower Corporation |
|
Auxin Solar Inc. |
|
Auxin Solar CSPV cell price floor suggestion | |
Standard poly CSPV cell | $0.24/watt |
Standard mono CSPV cell | $0.29/watt |
Low-efficiency PERC mono CSPV cell | $0.35/watt |
High-efficiency PERC mono CSPV cell | $0.35/watt |
P-type Bi-facial mono CSPV cell | $0.41/watt |
N-type Bi-facial mono CSPV cell | $0.41/watt |
Auxin Solar CSPV modules price floor suggestion: | |
Standard poly CSPV cell | $0.55/watt |
Standard mono CSPV cell | $0.60/watt |
Low-efficiency PERC mono CSPV cell | $0.66/watt |
High-efficiency PERC mono CSPV cell | $0.66/watt |
P-type Bi-facial mono CSPV cell | $1.02 /watt |
N-type Bi-facial mono CSPV cell | $1.02/watt |
Shanghai BYD Co., and BYD (Shangluo) Industrial Co., Ltd. |
|
Canadian Solar Inc. and Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. |
|
China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Products Branch (CCCME) |
|
European Commission |
|
Goal Zero LLC |
|
Government of Brazil |
|
Government of Canada |
|
Government of Indonesia |
|
Government of Korea |
|
Government of Mexico |
|
Government of Taiwan |
|
Korea Photovoltaic Industry Association (KOPIA) |
|
Mission Solar Energy LLC |
|
NextEra Energy, Inc. |
|
REC Solar Pte Ltd |
|
SolarWorld Americas, Inc. |
|
SolarWorld urges the Commission to recommend a four-year relief program as follows: | |
Cells: | $0.25 per watt and a quota of 0.22 GW in 2018. |
Modules: | $0.32 per watt and a quota of 5.7 GW in 2018. |
Solatube International, Inc. |
|
Suniva, Inc. |
|
For the subsequent years of relief Suniva requests the following CSPV cell and module tariff’s: | |
Year 1 $0.25 per watt for cells | $0.32 per watt for modules |
Year 2 $0.245 per watt for cells | $0.31 per watt for modules |
Year 3 $0.24 per watt for cells | $0.30 per watt for modules |
Year 4 $0.235 per watt for cells | $0.29 per watt for modules |
For the subsequent years of relief Suniva requests a minimum floor price of: | |
Year 2 | $0.70 per watt |
Year 3 | $0.66 per watt |
Year 4 | $0.64 per watt |
SunPower Corporation |
|
Taiwan Photovoltaic Industry Association (TPVIA) |
|
Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd. (“Trina”) |
|
Vina Solar Technology Co., Ltd. and Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd |
|