Global glass shortage leads to increased demand for glass-free solar modules

The renewable energy industry is facing an imminent world-wide glass shortage, with technology company Sunman expecting PV glass output to be 20 percent-30 percent short of demand in 2021. 

The fall in production follows restrictions in China, where the majority of solar glass is made. The limitations have been imposed by the government in an effort to limit pollution due to the energy-intensive process of manufacturing glass. The shortage of supply risks having a knock-on effect for the booming green energy industry. Most traditional solar panels utilise glass to protect the solar photovoltaic cells from potentially damaging external factors, with approximately 20 percent of the cost of traditional solar panels being due to the glass. Given that the cost of the glass that coats photovoltaic panels doubled in the last half of 2020, many solar panel manufacturers are being forced to increase their prices to compensate.

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