Market Trends of Flexible Glass Industry
Increasing Demand for Solar Panels
- Glass is used owing to its advantages, such as low cost, less weight, heat, water resistance, scratch-resistant, etc. Some major end-user industries include electrical and electronics, automotive, Opto-electronics, etc.
- Manufacturing of solar panels is the second-largest application segment for flexible glass. The demand from thriving economies like Japan and China is much higher than that from developed countries like the United States and France.
- Growing demand for lightweight and scratch-free materials in the solar energy industry to provide increased design flexibility and ultra-slim glass is primarily responsible for the growth of the flexible glass market.
- In addition, one of the boosting factors for these solar panels is the increasing investment in a renewable energy source to reduce carbon emissions worldwide.
- In addition to USD 6.5 billion for loans for rural power, the 2023 budget of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) allocated USD 300 million to help rural electricity providers switch to renewable energy sources.
- In December 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission approved new net metering regulations that will go into effect in April 2023 and eventually reimburse exported solar energy at prices approximately 75% less than retail. In contrast to the prior idea, there are no set fees and a transitional period.
- According to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 16 states generated more than 5% of their electricity from solar, with California leading the way at 27.3%. The United States also installed 17.0 gigawatts of alternating current (GWac) (20.2 GWdc) of PV (photovoltaic) in 2022, ending the year with 110.1 GWac (140.6 GWdc) of cumulative PV installations.
- The French government will invest EUR 1 billion (~USD 1.13 billion) in initiatives to advance renewable energy as part of the France 2030 National Investment Plan. The ultimate goal is to install ten times as much renewable energy by 2050, or up to 100 GW. 40 GW of total installed capacity will come from offshore wind projects.
- All the factors above are anticipated to increase the demand for flexible glass through the forecast period.
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Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market
- Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the flexible glass market during the forecast period due to the increasing demand for solar panels and voltaic cell manufacturing in countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan.
- The world will almost completely rely on China to supply key building blocks for solar panel production through 2025.
- According to information released by the National Energy Administration of China in late January, China installed 87 gigawatts (GW) in 2022, up 59% year over year (y/y).
- According to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), China installed 87 GW of solar in 2022, a 59% increase from the previous year. Furthermore, PV installations in India increased by 51% during the first nine months of 2022
- In India, a "Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects" plan is being implemented with a goal capacity of 40 GW by March 2024 to support big-scale grid-connected solar power projects. Solar projects capacity of 832 MW will be commissioned in various Solar Parks from January to October 2022.
- Japan substantially increased its electricity production from renewable energy sources in recent years, making it one of the top nations in installed renewable energy capacity. The Japanese government raised its objective for the proportion of renewable energy to 38% by 2030 under the new Strategic Energy Plan. Additionally, by 2050, the nation wants to be completely carbon neutral.
- Therefore, the abovementioned factors and government support contribute to the increasing demand for the flexible glass market in Asia-Pacific during the forecast period.
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