The need for energy storage is increasing as electricity demand rises rapidly in the U.S., with one estimate from the Solar Energy Industries Association expecting the battery market to grow by 21% this year.
American tariffs have cut Chinese imports to the U.S., but those goods are finding new buyers across Europe — raising questions for local manufacturers and policymakers.
“What these factory owners are making is a point that, even with the tariff, it is still going to be drastically cheaper than when you’re buying from the brand directly,” said Caiwei Chen, a China reporter for MIT Technology Review.