TOKYO/OSAKA — Due to a global semiconductor supply shortage, Panasonic will shortly stop producing a vital component for rooftop solar cells. Panasonic notified clients in late June that shipments of power conditioners used in residential solar systems would be delayed. Starting this month, the electronics behemoth is set to halt manufacture of a variety of products. These adjustments are the result of a March fire at a Renesas Electronics chip plant, which affected the supply of semiconductors for power conditioners. Although production of the gadgets is projected to return to normal by January of next year, output is expected to drop by 20% to 30% in the interim. A power conditioner is a sort of power inverter that converts solar energy into usable energy for homeowners. According to Tokyo consultant RTS, around 6.8 gigawatts of power conditioners were sold in Japan last year based on inverter capacity. Huawei Technologies, which is well-known for its massive solar farms, has the largest proportion of the devices, accounting for 20%. According to estimates, the domestic market accounts for roughly 30% of power conditioners based on inverter capacity, although a house solar system necessitates more units of the component. Panasonic is the top supplier of power conditioners for household solar cells, with around a 30% market share, followed by Japanese competitors Omron and Tabuchi Electric. A section of Tabuchi’s power conditioners appears to be made with Renesas chips. “They’ll be difficult to replace,” a Tabuchi representative stated. Tabuchi will continue to produce by dipping into its inventory. However, because inventory levels for several other electrical devices are low, the company has advised customers that deliveries may be delayed. Omron hasn’t said how the “global semiconductor scarcity” has affected its company, but it has stated that it is suffering the repercussions. On June 24, Renesas’ semiconductor output returned to pre-fire levels, however deliveries have yet to resume, and it appears that supplies are being prioritized for the car market. Although manufacturers of solar cells and housing businesses are moving toward secure replacement products, the transition will take time because a substitute must be evaluated and verified for endurance. “As companies compete with each other, procurement costs are rising,” remarked a construction executive. Delta Electronics, a Taiwanese power conditioner maker, reports that demand from Japanese manufacturers is increasing, owing to the need for replacement parts. The chip crunch has impacted a wide range of final products. Aside from autos, production of a variety of consumer items, such as car navigation systems, air conditioners, and televisions, has slowed. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, this tendency has obscured consumer spending intentions./n
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