The US Department of Commerce finds cause to levy new duties on solar products manufactured in China and Taiwan ranging from 26% to 58%. Dumping margins occur when the Department of Commerce find products solar below fair value.

The implementation also reaches further than previous and than anticipated. Products are defined as follows:

“The merchandise covered by these investigations are crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, and modules, laminates and/or panels consisting of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not partially or fully assembled into other products, including building integrated materials. For purposes of this investigation, subject merchandise also includes modules, laminates and/or panels assembled in the subject country consisting of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells that are completed or partially manufactured within a customs territory other than that subject country, using ingots that are manufactured in the subject country, wafers that are manufactured in the subject country, or cells where the manufacturing process begins in the subject country and is completed in a non-subject country.”

Tariff highlights as follows

China

Trina Solar – 26.33%
Renesola – 58.87%
ET Solar/LDK/Yingli Solar and 39 others – 42.33% (Full list in the announcement)

Taiwan

Gintech – 27.59%
Motech – 44.18%
All Others – 35.89%

Full Department of Commerce Dumping List

Big is a predominant adjective in the headlines today. Large solar deals and policies to support the realization of those numbers are proclamations from several global regions. Big investor owned utilities stateside being scored on their renewable deployment. A large consortium of Fortune 500 companies has rallied together to support a renewable energy buyer’s guide. Several state headlines point to large efforts to curtail solar momentum. Big growth numbers for U.S. solar is coupled with big money flowing into PACE, which will fuel even bigger solar milestones. With solar accounting for only 1% of U.S. energy generation, big is better. It’s even crucial if you want to shift a big trend like global warming. A savvy CEO once said to me, the effort to reverse a trend is herculean compared to the energy to propel one. This is what the news is all about today – a worldwide herculean effort to transform energy generation, build financial channels feeding the transformation and pass policies reversing the status quo. Still it all comes down to individuals with big visions and the teams who facilitate big wins.

A side note: Recent coverage for residential PACE acceleration is not surprising, at least not to this ad hoc news curator. The recent $50 million in equity side funding for residential PACE leader, Renovate America and another $20 million for competitor, Renewable Funding has raised the attention of the market on these emerging capital channels. “2013 is shaping up to be the year promise turns into reality for property-accessed clean energy (PACE) financing in the United States,” so predicted yours truly in a piece for Solar Power World Magazine. Not tooting my own horn, just marveling at the time involved for a coming trend to morph into one fully recognized. Like the real price of solar and the consumer’s view of it. Here’s to closing that reality gap.

–Glenna Wiseman in for Yann Brandt

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