Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, has launched the world’s first independent daily, spot market solar photovoltaic (PV) panel price assessments for US, Europe and Asia. In addition to six individual Platts Solar Module prices, Platts will also publish the Platts Global Solar Module Marker, which is a daily average of the six individual assessments, and which will provide a global perspective of solar panel prices.
With the exponential growth in the manufacture, trade and installation of solar modules, industry and market interest in an independent, transparent source of physical market solar module pricing has expanded accordingly. After receiving feedback from the market, S&P Global Commodity Insights is now offering six new daily price assessment reflecting the value of bifacial solar modules procured for commercial and industrial (C&I) and utility scale renewable energy projects.
The new spot physical market price assessments of solar modules of differing megawattage (MW) and delivered duty paid (DDP) or free on board (FOB) include:
Platts Solar Module FOB China 5-50 MW, reflecting 10-30 days forward free on board (FOB) Shanghai, China
Platts Solar Module FOB China 50-100 MW, reflecting 10-30 days forward free on board (FOB) Shanghai, China
Platts Solar Module DDP Europe 5-50 MW, reflecting 28-70 days forward delivery to Rotterdam, Europe
Platts Solar Module DDP Europe 50-100 MW, reflecting 28-70 days forward delivery to Rotterdam, Europe
Platts Solar Module DDP US 5-50 MW, reflecting 28-60 days forward for delivery to US East Coast
Platts Solar Module DDP US 50-100 MW, reflecting 28-60 days forward for delivery to US East Coast
Platts Global Solar Module Marker is a daily average of the six individual solar module panel assessments, which will provide a global perspective of solar panel prices
The Platts Solar Module price assessments reflect solar modules with 570 -720 watts (W) of output. Topcon specification and wafer sizes of 182-210 mm for volumes of 5 megawatt (MW) up to 50 MW, and 50 MW up to 100 MW. The value reflects solar modules, expressed as an outright price in US cents per watt.
The price assessments, announced by subscriber note, will follow the Platts Market-on-Close methodology based on the concept that price is a reflection of time. All market pricing indications, such as bids, offers and transactions, will be published in real-time throughout the full-day Platts price assessment process, which culminates in an end-of-day price assessment reflecting the value as determined by buyers and sellers in the open market at the 4:30 pm London market close.
Importation duties, oversupply, and supply chain costs have led to significant solar module pricing volatility, particularly since the start of 2023.
The new spot market Platts Solar Module prices augment S&P Global Commodity Insights’ pre-existing Platts spot physical market electricity prices, which have been published for decades, as well as the more recent Platts Capture Prices – what the renewable energy generators receive for the electricity they produce across a daily period — which were launched in 2018 in Europe and 2020 in the US.
