US solar tariffs could drive Asia transition boom

By Sara HUSSEIN

Bangkok (AFP) May 4, 2025

Massive planned US duties on solar panels made in Southeast Asia could be a chance for the region to ramp up its own long-stalled energy transition, experts say.

Earlier this month, Washington announced plans for hefty duties on solar panels made in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.

The levies follow an investigation, launched before US President Donald Trump took office, into “unfair practices” in the countries, particularly by Chinese-headquartered firms.

If approved next month, they will pile upon tariffs already imposed by the Trump administration, including blanket 10-percent levies for most countries, and 145 percent on Chinese-made goods.

For the US market, the consequences are likely to be severe. China makes eight out of every 10 solar panels globally, and controls 80 percent of every stage of the manufacturing process.

The new tariffs “will practically make solar exports to US impossible commercially”, said Putra Adhiguna, managing director at the Energy Shift Institute think tank.

Southeast Asia accounted for nearly 80 percent of US solar panel imports in 2024.

And while investment in solar production has ramped up in the United States in recent years, the market still relies heavily on imported components.

For Chinese manufacturers, already dealing with a saturated domestic market, the raft of tariffs is potentially very bad news.

Many shifted operations to Southeast Asia hoping to avoid punitive measures imposed by Washington and the European Union as they try to protect and nurture domestic solar industries.

The proposed new duties range from around 40 percent for some Malaysian exports to an eye-watering 3,521 percent for some Cambodia-based manufacturers.

– Tariffs ‘accelerate’ transition –

But there may be a silver lining for the region, explained Ben McCarron, managing director at Asia Research & Engagement.

“The tariffs and trade war are likely to accelerate the energy transition in Southeast Asia,” he said.

China will “supercharge efforts” in regional markets and push for policy and implementation plans to “enable fast adoption of green energy across the region”, driven by its exporters.

Analysts have long warned that countries in the region are moving too slowly to transition from planet-warming fossil fuels like coal.

“At the current pace, it (Southeast Asia) risks missing out on the opportunities provided by the declining costs of wind and solar, now cheaper than fossil fuels,” said energy think tank Ember in a report last year.

For example, Malaysia relied on fossil fuels for over 80 percent of its electricity generation last year.

It aims to generate 24 percent from renewables by 2030, a target that has been criticised as out of step with global climate goals.

The tariff regime represents a double opportunity for the region, explained Muyi Yang, senior energy analyst at Ember.

So far, the local solar industry has been “largely opportunistic, focused on leveraging domestic resources or labour advantages for export gains”, he told AFP.

Cut off from the US market, it could instead focus on local energy transitions, speeding green energy uptake locally and driving a new market that “could serve as a natural hedge against external volatility”.

Still, replacing the US market will not be easy, given its size and the relatively nascent state of renewables in the region.

“Success hinges on turning this export-led momentum into a homegrown cleantech revolution,” said Yang.

“Clearance prices” may be attractive to some, but countries in the region and beyond may also be cautious about a flood of solar, said Adhiguna.

Major markets like Indonesia and India already have measures in place intended to favour domestic solar production.

“Many will hesitate to import massively, prioritising trade balance and aims to create local green jobs,” he said.

Related Links

All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com

AI designed nanostructure coating cuts solar reflection and boosts cell efficiency

by Clarence Oxford

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 02, 2025

Conventional silicon solar cells lose nearly half their potential light energy to surface reflection, but a new antireflective coating could dramatically reduce that loss. Researchers have developed a precision-engineered metasurface composed of a single ultrathin layer of polycrystalline silicon nanostructures, enhancing light absorption across a broad spectrum and incidence angles.

The new design, detailed in Advanced Photonics Nexus, combines forward and inverse computational strategies with artificial intelligence to produce a coating that minimizes reflection from 500 to 1200 nanometers. At direct light incidence, it reflects as little as 2 percent of sunlight, and just 4.4 percent at steep angles. These performance levels are unprecedented for single-layer antireflective solutions.

Unlike traditional coatings, which are limited to narrow frequency and angular ranges, this metasurface remains highly effective even when sunlight strikes at non-optimal angles. Its success stems from the fusion of innovative design algorithms and material simplicity, offering a new path to scalable solar panel upgrades.

The researchers emphasize the coating’s potential for mass production and integration into current photovoltaic manufacturing lines. By reducing reflection so efficiently with minimal added complexity, it may accelerate clean energy deployment worldwide.

Moreover, the approach represents a broader advance in metasurface engineering. It could spur multifunctional photonic coatings beneficial for applications in sensors, imaging systems, and other optical technologies.

Research Report:Forward and inverse design of single-layer metasurface-based broadband antireflective coating for silicon solar cells

Related Links

International Society for Optics and Photonics

All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com

Record efficiency milestone reached in ecofriendly organic solar technology

by Riko Seibo

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Apr 30, 2025

As global momentum builds toward sustainable energy solutions, researchers have made a major breakthrough in solar technology by developing all-organic solar cells with record-setting efficiency. Unlike conventional silicon or perovskite solar cells, which pose environmental hazards due to their metallic and toxic components, these carbon-based alternatives promise cleaner disposal and reduced costs.

Led by Associate Professor Masahiro Nakano from Kanazawa University’s Institute of Science and Engineering, in partnership with REIKO Co., Ltd. and Queen’s University at Kingston, the team successfully engineered organic solar cells that achieve 8.7% power conversion efficiency (PCE) – more than double the previous benchmark of 4%.

This leap in performance overcomes two longstanding technological barriers. First, earlier organic solar cells lacked suitable transparent electrodes that could be produced without harming the device’s organic layers. Conventional fabrication methods relied on corrosive chemicals or temperatures exceeding 150oC. The team instead utilized the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS to produce transparent electrodes at just 80oC, without strong acids or bases, achieving sheet resistance below 70 O/sq.

Second, traditional solution-based processes risk damaging underlying layers when stacking new films. The researchers addressed this by creating a lamination technique using carbon nanotube electrodes. These electrodes are fabricated independently and then affixed to the solar cell, preserving the integrity of internal layers during assembly.

The implications of this innovation are significant. All-organic solar cells are lightweight, flexible, and free from hazardous materials, making them ideal for use in agriculture, wearable technology, and installations where traditional panels are impractical. The research team aims to further boost efficiency by enhancing the conductivity of organic electrode materials.

Research Report:Unlocking High-Performance in All-Organic Solar Cells by the Development of Organic Electrodes with no Acid and High-Temperature Treatment and the Effective Preparation Thereof on Organic Multi-layer Films

Related Links

Kanazawa University

All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com