As the U.S. solar PV sector scales up domestic cell manufacturing, long-term competitiveness will depend on whether American producers can move beyond turn-key foreign equipment to secure independent technology roadmaps and domestic material supply chains.
As the U.S. solar PV sector prepares for significant investments into new manufacturing and materials supply facilities in the coming years, the question of technology-leadership for silicon-based production will be closely monitored.
Which companies will build new solar cell manufacturing capacity that is grounded in process flow ownership and R&D activities? Which companies will default to turn-key lines from third-party vendors? Moreover, what will be the role of PV equipment suppliers in enabling the U.S. to have technology leadership in the PV industry?
This article explains why the investments being made into new cell capacity in the United States today will not simply create the technology mix of modules procured domestically over the next five years – but will likely identify the companies that will be best placed to drive technology change, while being able to deal with any potential restrictions on production equipment or raw materials being exported from China.
