LG Closes Their Solar Panel Business - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 24, 2022, 03:20:55 am
content: Huge newshttps://www.lgnewsroom.com/2022/02/lg-to-close-solar-panel-business/Quote

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2022, 04:03:52 am
content: I could see it due to the insane polysilicon prices alone. They're still going up.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2022, 04:13:06 am
content: Can't say I blame them. It's a tough call but prolly the right one if what their crystal ball is telling them comes to pass.

author: jh15
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2022, 04:23:56 am
content: the company will maintain support for customers of existing LG solar panels for a period of time after the business’s closure has been completed.

author: f4eru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2022, 07:28:45 pm
content: sad to see.I hope this will not reduce the global production capacity....

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2022, 07:37:20 pm
content: When a market develops to a plateau, and all people look for is good enough and very cheap, most players get squeezed out of the market.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2022, 11:16:07 pm
content: LG also exited out of the mobile phone business.Perhaps both of these markets are rapidly maturing, and LG entered too late to make a difference?

author: mairo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 26, 2022, 09:42:36 am
content: What are the next 'good' brands to look at then (for Australia)?

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2022, 06:01:45 pm
content: LG had only 1% market share and china has dominated manufacturing, very aggressive growth and then sanctions to keep others out of their country."... Korean manufacturers such as Hankook Silicon (bankrupt in 2018) and Hanwha Chemical, OCI had to shutter its 52,000-ton factory in South Korea in early 2020. OCI and Hanwha’s plant closures in 2020 will leave South Korea with no active polysilicon capacity due to high electricity prices and Chinese import tariffs on South Korean polysilicon."Good read:Solar PV Trade and Manufacturing- A Deep Dive, Bloomberg Feb. 2021It's unfortunate a higher quality product is leaving the market and looks like German polysilicon is the only alternative for highest quality.I wouldn't expect LG to honour their warranties, Korean manufacturers are notorious for needing a class-action lawsuit to 'fess up. Example LG appliances refrigerator compressor failures, KIA engine failures etc. It's quite bad actually.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2022, 12:50:50 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on February 26, 2022, 06:01:45 pmThat said, I do think Korean companies including LG are generally capable of cranking out high quality goods... Lots of people are happy with their Kias... Samsung SSDs are top notch...

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 27, 2022, 10:54:12 pm
content: Just tried to contact the general manager for solar & energy at LG Australia who was my main contact there, and his email bounced.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2022, 11:13:31 pm
content: Hmm so I wonder if the old solar panels now are more valuable. Feel like I have HP on my roof.

author: mairo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 28, 2022, 04:41:48 am
content: I am wondering if this is the reason a local energy provider offered me LG battery with 4k discount on top of the standard government rebates here in Australia today

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 28, 2022, 05:04:13 am
content: Quote from: mairo on February 28, 2022, 04:41:48 amWoah, that's pretty big! Could be worth it even without a warranty.The guy I knew at LG was the general manager of the solar AND energy division here. So if he's gone, it's a safe bet the energy division would be life support here. But technically only the solar business went under.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2022, 03:55:31 am
content: Those LG battery units look risky? Or maybe refurbs. "The recall pertains to about 10,000 LG RESU 10H energy storage system units."https://www.energy-storage.news/fire-hazard-leads-to-further-product-recall-for-lg-residential-battery-storage-systems/

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2022, 05:15:46 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on February 27, 2022, 11:13:31 pmThat's what I wondered. If you just want to buy one to replace a damaged one (or need it to match because of aesthetics, a spouse, neighbors etc) fixing becomes a costly exercise.I think LG owe the customers something in the last, say, two years because they've paid the premium so that you could slot-in something very similar if damaged in the very short term.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2022, 08:51:18 am
content: Well, Dave already had new panels installed, to replace one failed old panel, with the old panels going into warranty replacement stock.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 01, 2022, 08:57:33 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on March 01, 2022, 08:51:18 amNope, I'm still running all the old panels I bought 8+ years ago, with the exception of that one that got smashed and replaced.The new ones they gave me last year were actually factory 2nd's (cosmetic imperfections), but they didn't want me to mention that in the video. They sold a bunch of those at a substantial discount to installers.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2022, 09:07:46 am
content: I'm not surprised. The installers that I talked to said, they don't even have LG panels on stock, nobody wants them. The price I see now is 0.72 EUR/W for LG, 0.41EUR/W for a Dutch brand Denim (Chinese cells) and 0.4 for a Chinese brand.Others are just good enough.

author: Renate
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2022, 08:03:53 pm
content: Yow, this is all so treacherous.I've got Canadian Solar (presumably Chinese) at $0.9/W. I'm happy with them. I'm just waiting around for dual e=hv (or whatever they are calling them).The way my mounting is set up if I lost a panel no other manufacturer's dimensions would match. Or would they?