United States module deliveries down in January and also February

• While the quantity of mixed imports and also exports sagged from virtually 2 GW in December to 1.49 GW in January and also 1.36 GW in February, the rate per kilowatt increased considerably in the 2nd month of the year.

The current version of the Monthly Solar Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report released by the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed 1.36 GW of solar components were imported as well as exported in February, below 1.49 GW a month previously as well as 1.96 GW in December.

The 1.36 GW of components delivered in February, nevertheless, stood for a 308% boost on the 442 MW relocated a year previously and also might be partly clarified by project designers stockpiling in anticipation of feasible Covid-19 supply shocks.

Regardless of dropping quantities this year, the numbers stay regular with the increasing pattern which started in the 2nd fifty percent of in 2015 as firms aimed to safe-harbor project elements ahead of an intended fall in the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar this year, from 30% to 26%. The ITC establishes the percentage of the expense of a solar installment which can be subtracted from government tax obligations. The 30% degree put on all projects which started in 2015 as well as solar designers had the ability to secure the full credit by paying a minimum of 5% of the price of centers to appreciate a safe harbor arrangement. With components providing greater than 5% of project prices, having them delivered was a secure means to safeguard the complete ITC.

The ITC is presently as a result of be up to 22% following year.

Deliveries down however solid

Because June, no month has actually seen less than 1 GW delivered-- a touch that is nearly dual the size of the previous document, from August to November 2017. It is uncertain just how much of the delivery quantity issues imports as the EIA has actually held back that information because December 2018.

The golden state, naturally, was house to one of the most deliveries in February-- 420 MW. It was adhered to by Texas, with 141 MW; Tennessee-- a shock access-- with 85 MW; New Jersey, with 55 MW; and also Florida, with 44 MW. Tennessee had actually 58 MW delivered in January, a significant quantity, with its two-month delivery capability standing for greater than a 3rd of the state's set up capability. Those numbers might have something to do with the 484 MW of brand-new solar generation capability public body the Tennessee Valley Authority has actually gotten given that December.

Much more stockpiling?

While month-by-month deliveries were down, the typical price-per-watt of solar components climbed dramatically in February, approximately $0.46 from $0.40 in January. The previous number is the greatest regular monthly cost because June 2018 as well as stands for the biggest month-to-month dive seen because that factor.

What the information does not yet reveal is the degree to which the Covid-19 pandemic has actually influenced module deliveries. Installers have actually informed pv magazine they have actually been stockpiling components as well as various other tools to prepare for possible supply chain disturbance. That might at the very least partly describe the February cost spike.