Scott Moskowitz of Qcells explains why having domestic solar manufacturing upstream is critical for sustaining political support and growing installation volume.
Assertion Supported
Moskowitz: US domestic solar module capacity of 40-50 GW meets total demand
“And, you know, at the moment, we have enough module capacity to supply U.S. Demand. That's, you know, 40 to 50 gigawatts a year, and there's probably even more than that.”
Opinion
Moskowitz: Chinese solar manufacturing yields cheap, durable, and high-quality products
“Solar panel manufacturing, especially to the extent that it's clustered in China, is, you know, these products are incredible. They last for a long time, they're cheap, they're, they are we continue to have them get better, but they're really, really incredibl…”
Opinion
Moskowitz: Inflation Reduction Act made domestic solar reshoring economically feasible
“You know, you had trade policy, which kept the industry alive for a long time. It didn't necessarily allow it to reach the scale that it is now. But, you know, I think there'd been a focus and an effort to reshore, you know, even prior to the Inflation Reducti…”
Assertion Contradicted
Moskowitz: Nearly all solar panels purchased in the US are domestically assembled
“And, you know, we're at a point now where, you know, if you're a buyer of solar panels in the United States, pretty much every panel you're going to get is at least domestically assembled.”
Assertion Supported
Moskowitz: Only Qcells and Hemlock Corning produce solar wafers in the US
“At the moment, there's only two companies, Qcells and Hemlock Corning, that are making wafers, are about to start making wafers in the United States.”
Assertion Supported
Moskowitz: US-made solar remains cost-competitive with other energy sources on LCOE
“Even when a product is made in the United States, and in solar, solar specifically, It is still cost competitive with other forms of technology. You look at Lazard's LCOE models and those cost charts, solar is always going to be right on the bottom, and that i…”