Inicio - Noticias - The Middle East war has pushed up the price of aluminum, and the installation cost of the solar energy industry in the United States has soared by 20%.
The Middle East war has pushed up the price of aluminum, and the installation cost of the solar energy industry in the United States has soared by 20%.
May 30, 2026
Due to the war in Iran which has disrupted global aluminum supply, the installation costs for commercial solar energy customers in the United States are experiencing a sharp increase.
Aluminum is the core material for key components such as tracks, clamps and supports in solar energy support systems. Its price has risen significantly since the end of February - the benchmark aluminum price on the London Metal Exchange has increased by 15%, while the COMEX aluminum futures contract has soared by more than 30%.
This supply crisis originated from the damage to the oil refining facilities in the Gulf region and the disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz (with an annual aluminum transportation volume exceeding 5 million tons).
Jim Wood, the CEO of SEG Solar, said that he had observed a 20% increase in the prices of solar project frames. He predicted that some marginal projects (especially those with already tight return rates) might be cancelled.
According to data from the United States Geological Survey, in 2025 the United States imported over 5 million tons of aluminum. Among this, the supply from Canada accounted for more than 50%, while that from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain accounted for 12%.
However, as the aluminium price is based on global benchmarks, the supply risks in the Gulf region have been passed on to Canadian imported products.
The senior commercial solar consultant of JK Renewables pointed out that the United States and Canada are part of the global integrated market, and Canadian producers will raise their prices to match the rising rates worldwide.
This price shock comes at a time when the US solar industry is experiencing rapid growth - the US Energy Information Administration predicts that by 2026, there will be an additional 43.4 gigawatts of utility-scale solar capacity installed, a 60% increase compared to the previous year.
Industry experts have warned that even a small increase in cost per watt can become significant when considering large-scale planned installation volumes. Consumers are expected to feel the price increase pressure in the third and fourth quarters of 2026.
