Despite the fact that the prices of solar panels have not dropped any further, there is certainly no price recovery yet. As a result, the selling price gap between European and Chinese solar panels remains so large that European producers are in serious trouble, according to Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar. "European producers are at a standstill and will certainly not be able to keep that up for another six months."
Engin Yaman, Managing Director of LONGi Germany, on current market developments, the security of supply chains and price developments, the discussion on Chinese price dumping and the business strategy for Europe and Germany.
In its 1st quarter 2024 report, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) still lists Sunova Solar as a Tier 1 module manufacturer.While 43% of module manufacturers were removed from the BNEF list, Sunova fulfilled the new criteria of providing minimum 6 projects with 5 MW or larger size.
Several containers with fake modules put into circulation. Bauer Solar is now taking legal action against the Chinese manufacturer and all other parties involved.
Several major European manufacturers, such as Meyer Burger, Norsun, Norwegian Crystals and REC Solar, have announced that the European market is no longer favourable enough for them to operate in. Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar thinks. "This means a very serious setback for any European production plans."
Prices for solar modules have continued to fall. But this could soon change. There are various reasons for this.
Shipping millions of solar modules from China across the world's oceans makes no sense, neither economically nor environmentally. Emissions that we want to reduce with solar power are shifted to China. They are also produced from transport by sea and by truck.
DAS Solar has developed a TOPCon 4.0 Plus high-efficiency solar cell that boasts an efficiency of 26.36% and an open-circuit voltage of 742mV, breaking the world record for this type of cell.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the global expansion of renewables has accelerated massively in 2023. China is the driving force behind this.
The EU is currently struggling to find a common strategy to rebuild photovoltaic production. Know-how and inventiveness are also available in "good old Europe", as a visit to Teamtechnik, technology leader for systems for solar cell strings, shows.
Recently a 4GW high-efficiency photovoltaic module facility, jointly funded by Elion and DAS Solar, started in Inner Mongolia, China.
A outdoor test facility with 1500V DC N-type solar modules jointly conducted by DAS Solar and TÜV Nord in the tropical Hainan Province (China) has been officially been grid-connected.
Trina Solar’s 210mm Vertex ultra-high power solar modules, including the Vertex N 700W and the Vertex 670W, are being employed in a 2GW photovoltaic project on the site of a former coal mine in Ningxia, China.
The resilience of supply chains for key technologies for the energy transition, such as photovoltaics and wind power, is in a poor state in Europe. Import dependency, especially on China, is immensely high. A study shows this and gives recommendations.
The general expectation was that once China came out of the last lockdown, the Chinese economy would pick up again and take the global economy with it on the way up. Nothing could be further from the truth. The results are so disappointing that the Chinese government no longer even makes all data public. This also affects the solar energy sector, according to Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar.
On 1 August 2023, Trina Solar has manufactured the first 210mm n-type i-TOPCon cells at its net-zero production park in Qinghai province. Production there is to be ramped up to five gigawatts.
The lithium storage units of the Chinese manufacturer Voltsmile are now available at the online retailer Greenakku. They are available as storage units alone or modularly expandable with capacities from 2.4 to 61.5 kilowatt hours.
Electromobility is booming worldwide. In China, most cars with electric drives crossed the counter. In Germany, almost every third buyer opted for an electric car.
Germany's photovoltaic sector is at a crossroads, wrestling with supply chain difficulties, extended waiting periods, and an acute shortage of inverters. The ongoing discourse surrounding the "reindustrialization" of the pan-European PV market signifies one undeniable fact: the industry demands urgent action, Jeremy Powell, Director of Operations for Europe & Turkey at Hopewind, comments.
The Chinese company Hoymiles presents the new series for micro inverters HMS-1000W for the European market. The feed-in power ranges from 600 to 1000 watts.
The global solar industry is ready for a revolution, with all signs pointing to growth. For the current year a newly installated capacity of 341 GW is expected.
The lack of recovery of the Chinese economy is causing a decline in demand for raw materials and solar cells, wafers and panels. Where producers and manufacturers were previously able to make mutual agreements to support prices, demand has now fallen to such an extent that prices have completely fallen through the ice. "There really seems to be complete panic," says Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar.
The market prices of solar cells, wafers and panels currently follow the same pattern as energy prices. "The prices are 7 to 8 euro cents per watt peak lower than a year ago, why wait any longer", asks Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar.
Menlo Electric partners with TSUN, a provider of high-power microinverter technology development, to expand the distribution in Europe.
The European solar industry is making a comeback. Soon more modules, storage units and inverters will come from new factories. An initial overview of planned investments.
