The increase in electronics consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic and the outbreaks of the disease in Southeast Asia are the main factors in the shortage of semiconductor chips in the global industry. This situation has been generating mismatches in the price and delivery of this product, impacting the production of several products, including photovoltaic inverters.
Allen Lei, commercial director at battery manufacturer Dyness, assesses that this “shortage will continue until next year at least because it is difficult to resolve it in a short time, while the global market has a large demand for the chips, and capacity is difficult to respond in a short time.”
The manufacturer currently uses semiconductors in the BMS (battery management systems) of its lithium batteries. Desheng Lei, sales director at Solis, says that the macroeconomic impact and the crisis caused by the pandemic have caused major changes in the global market and international logistics. “The shortage of chips is a common problem in the energy equipment industry and among other industries.”
Lei also states that to stabilize the supply of semiconductors, Solis signed a contract this year worth more than R$1 billion with Infineon, a German manufacturer of IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor).
According to him, production and delivery are occurring normally. Furthermore, the Law advises that companies in the Brazilian photovoltaic market have a purchasing plan to assist in the manufacturing and shipping of products.
To avoid problems in the delivery of microinverters, the company Huayu started using the office in the USA instead of the purchasing channel in China to obtain factory supplies locally.
Another company that does not encounter a problem due to the lack of chips in the Brazilian market, due to its planning, is Fronius. According to Alexandre Borin, Photovoltaic Energy Manager at Fronius do Brasil, the company “has no problems with lack of inputs for inverters sold in Brazil, everything is normal”.
“This is the result of an austerity policy and long-term planning that only solid companies like Fronius can offer to the solar energy market”, he concludes.
The manufacturer Growatt also reported that it continues to produce its inverters without problems in the delivery of its products.
