Why did Chinese solar panels shut down in Malaysia?

KUALA LUMPUR - Several Chinese-owned solar panel makers have shut down or scaled back their operations in Malaysia, industry sources say, as US tariff hikes in 2024 squeezed margins and further hikes are expected.

Why is solar energy a big problem in China?

Zhong Dalong, chief technology officer for solar energy at the National Institute of Clean and Low-Carbon Energy, said the influx of PV waste may happen earlier in China because some companies are likely to decommission low-efficiency panels before they reach their expiry date, because land for solar development is becoming increasingly scarce.

Will Chinese solar panels be decommissioned in 2025?

The institute's projection is in line with that made by Liu's center. According to a white paper it published in January on the recycling and use of solar panel waste, the first batch of solar panels installed in China will start being decommissioned in 2025.

How has China influenced solar energy development?

As the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels, China has been injecting powerful impetus into global solar energy development. Thanks to devoting a great deal of effort to R&D, China has also made significant progress in PV waste recycling, as demonstration projects are gradually being put into operation.

Are Chinese solar panels a threat to US solar energy industry?

The US views the influx of cheaper Chinese solar panel imports as a threat to its domestic solar energy industry. Most solar panels installed in the US are made overseas, and around 80 per cent of imports come from these four South-east Asian nations.

Does China lag behind in PV waste recycling?

Despite the fact that Europe and Japan started researching PV waste recycling earlier, Liu said that China doesn't lag behind in recycling technology, and Zhong also pointed to the fact that key national PV waste R&D programs have been introduced in both of the last two Five-Year Plan periods.