There is no question we are in a very politically and socio-economically challenging times right now with a historic election weeks away and a novel coronavirus continuing to devastate the world. When hearing the quiet news about the tariff exclusion on bifacial modules that was enacted in June 2019 being lifted, it honestly didn't surprise me. Don't get me wrong, it was disappointing to see the administration take this direction but I do not have dire concerns about the long term impact of this action.
Here is the full proclamation from the administration: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-facilitate-positive-adjustment-competition-imports-certain-crystalline-silicon-photovoltaic-cells/
The proclamation’s main argument is that “bifacial modules are likely to account for a greater share of the market in the future and can substitute for monofacial products in the various market segments, such that exempting imports of bifacial modules from the safeguard tariff would apply significant downward pressure on prices of domestically produced (bifacial) modules.”
As quoted in pv Magazine, "Trump’s new proclamation is scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 25 — 15 days after it was issued — but, again, with the election looming, what its impact will be remains uncertain. The tariffs have slowed price reductions on panels in the U.S. and, according to SEIA, cost the industry 62,000 jobs, even as some Chinese solar companies set up shop in the U.S."
What the past 4 years and all of 2020 should have taught all of us, is that we all need a thick contingency in our financial models so that whatever comes your way in a given deal doesn't fully shake the deal and its prospects of being completed.
As the owner of a solar development, investment, construction, and growing solar equipment distribution business, of course I think that this is the wrong direction we should be going but at the same time I remain very optimistic and bullish on the solar market. Costs for solar are dropping at a rapid rate and we at Breiter Planet Properties are continuing to offer significantly competitive EPC price points for our construction business which helps ourselves and all of our clients.
We are positioned very well in the market with gigawatts under development, hiring like crazy, and creating opportunities for the industry to continue to grow and thrive. As a Bostonian, my roots are in New England where we face tough winters, work hard, and thrive when our backs are against the wall. The solar industry embraces these New England ideals and there is no stopping us.
