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ALMM (approved list of models & manufacturers) solar content rule
What it is
The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers restricts government-supported solar projects to modules, and progressively cells, from listed domestic manufacturers. The list now includes over 100 enlisted manufacturers and models
It functions as a non-tariff domestic content requirement rather than a duty
Impact on industries
- Built a domestic module industry from a low base - the list keeps expanding with new entrants and capacity additions, mostly in N-Type TOPCon
- Extension to cells pushes integration upstream, since module assembly alone leaves the value and the dependency with imported cells
- Raises module cost against imported alternatives, so tariffs are higher than they would otherwise be and project returns compress
- Capacity concentrated in assembly leaves wafer and polysilicon imported, and it applies only to government-supported projects