Rising solar cell and module costs pressure developers
POWER & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Rising solar cell and module costs pressure developers

The cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules has risen by more than 40% in the last 18 months to $27-28 cents per watt, owing to an increase in polysilicon pricing. This is primarily driven by disruptions in operations across the value chain of solar module manufacturing in China and a jump in the cost of polysilicon, a critical material for module producers. The surging cell and module prices have been contributing to the cost constraints that solar power manufacturers are encountering, even as supply chain concerns continue to alleviate.

While bid rates have climbed from Rs 1.99 per unit in December 2020 to Rs 2.2-2.5 per unit, the extent of the increase has remained lower than what has been projected is necessary to counteract the increase in module prices. The risk of moderation in returns is substantial for projects totalling 4.4 GW awarded in the last 18 months with rates less than Rs. 2.2 per unit.

The cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules has risen by more than 40% in the last 18 months to $27-28 cents per watt, owing to an increase in polysilicon pricing. This is primarily driven by disruptions in operations across the value chain of solar module manufacturing in China and a jump in the cost of polysilicon, a critical material for module producers. The surging cell and module prices have been contributing to the cost constraints that solar power manufacturers are encountering, even as supply chain concerns continue to alleviate. While bid rates have climbed from Rs 1.99 per unit in December 2020 to Rs 2.2-2.5 per unit, the extent of the increase has remained lower than what has been projected is necessary to counteract the increase in module prices. The risk of moderation in returns is substantial for projects totalling 4.4 GW awarded in the last 18 months with rates less than Rs. 2.2 per unit.

Next Story
Real Estate

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Next Story
Technology

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement