Gerard Scheper of European Solar argues that the positive sentiment seen after Intersolar Europe is no longer just sentiment, it is slowly turning into action.
After a period of tight supply and rising prices, the market is loosening. Yet geopolitical shifts may still impact module and battery pricing, according to Gerard Scheper of European Solar.
China’s solar industry has entered a new phase. After years of cut‑price competition and unchecked capacity expansion, the market now faces higher costs, explains Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar.
The US has imposed tariffs of up to 3,521 percent on solar imports from Southeast Asia, echoing similar protectionist measures taken by the EU in 2013. Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar, warns that history may be repeating itself.
The Chinese government has reduced a tax break for solar panels by 4 percent. It may be a first sign that solar panel prices will rise again in the new year. Especially now that it seems likely that the Chinese government will also abolish the remaining 9 percent tax benefit in the first half of 2025, says Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar. "This finally seems to be the end of the declining price curve of solar panels and making it less interesting to postpone the purchase any longer."
The final days of COP29 in Baku had experienced COP watchers reach for every cliché known to man. The negotiations were a roller-coaster, the mood was bleak, the clock was ticking, hopes were fading, diplomacy was frantic. But in the end, as they say, victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat, our guest author Gerard Scheper analyses.
The fact that the sudden huge price drops have led to major problems is no longer news. But prices keep falling and the question is when the tipping point will come and will the price increase be as turbulent as the current decline, Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar says.
PV panel prices have been dropping sharply for a few months now it appears that prices can still drop further. In addition, consumer demand is also falling sharply, but they can hardly be tempted with discounts because wholesalers are stuck with expensively purchased stock. Wholesalers who (partially) serve the business market have more options, Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar, says.
