Market Shifting

PHOTOVOLTAICS CELL AND MODULE MANUFACTURERS Market shifting Large-scale systems are After years of oversupply and artificially low module pricing, market becoming a growing market segment. The system in the analysts believe that the solar industry will begin to stabilize by 2017. picture has been installed in While the market activities are shifting from Europe to the Asia Pacific the Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi and uses Solar region and the United States, the solar shakeout continues to be in full Frontier modules. Photo: Solar Frontier swing including solar cell and module manufacturing. ccording to a recent report by the market ana play the role as global leader are over. “It is clear from lysts at Navigant Research, the annual world the results of 2012 and the forecast for the coming Awide revenues made from solar PV installa years that Europe’s leading role in the PV market is tions will surpass the mark of US$ 134 billion by coming to an end,” says Craig Winneker, Head of Po 2020. “Financial incentives, government renewable litical Communications at EPIA. In 2011, 70 % of glo energy deployment targets, and technology cost re bal new installations were connected to the grid in duction are still the most important drivers of the so Europe, says Winneker. In 2012, the share dropped lar PV market,” says Dexter Gauntlett, a research ana to 55 % and the majority of new installations will no lyst with Navigant Research. In view of such outlooks, doubt be found outside Europe in 2013. The global many companies in the industry have come to believe module and solar cell manufacturers are already re that 2017 will be the year in which solar power will fi acting to this trend. But the industry players must be nally be able to stand on its own feet in the major prepared to invest. According to the market research markets, says the report – without any further need er IHS, the module and solar cell manufacturers plan for incentives. to adjust to the new demand situation with an in crease in investments in new factories and produc Europe’s leading role coming to tion equipment for the first time in three years. After an end a decrease of 72 % in 2012, IHS says capital spend ing is projected to fall by only 36 % in the current year. For the next year, the market researchers then Europe’s PV industry association EPIA is closely fol forecast the industry capital expenditures to rise by lowing the industry development around the world. 30 % up to US$ 3 billion. “As demand expands in new In a study, the association comes to unequivocal re areas, PV manufacturers are gaining interest in pro sults. The times when the European markets used to ducing their wares in these regions, resulting in new Concentrated Off-Grid expertise: We would like to thank all those who contributed to the Off-Grid Experts’ Workshop 2013 and are already looking forward to next time on 25./26.09.2015. Until then, the Phaesun Off-Grid Experts will be pleased to 58 Sun & Wind Energy 11+12/2013 be at your disposal for your next Off-Grid project and further information about Off-Grid energy: www.phaesun.com factory openings and boosting local capital spend ing,” says Jon Campos, a market analyst for IHS. A good example of this is Canadian Solar, a China based module manufacturer, which had early begun to position itself in the North American PV market with a production facility in Ontario, Canada. In 2009, the fourth largest producer and sixth largest solar cell module manufacturer worldwide had already started the first activities on the Japanese islands. In its lat est quarterly report, the company now states that its solar module shipments to Japan went up by 75.9 % from the fourth quarter of 2012. In the first quarter of 2013, the company’s total solar module shipments were 340 MW. Canadian Solar recently signed a con tract with the Korean company Samsung Renewable Energy to deliver modules with an output of 400 MW for Samsung’s project business in Japan. Canadian Solar is also the first foreign module manufacturer to set up a solar module production plant in Japan. The leaves no doubt about China’s leading role. Eight out First Solar continues producing plant will have a capacity of 150 MW and start oper of ten companies on the list are based in China. at full capacity. Photo: First Solar ating in the first half of 2014. The demand has in SunPower, a module and solar cell manufacturer, is creased so much that, according to the Japan the only USbased company, currently ranking in Photovoltaic Energy Association, the largest share of eighth place in both segments. But even SunPower is the modules that are installed had to be imported for ramping up its production in Asia. The company has the first time from abroad. achieved strong growth, particularly in the Asia Pacif ic region, where its sales more than redoubled up to China at the head of Top 10 US$ 101.9 million. According to the company, the market share has meanwhile arrived at 10 % in Japan. A look at the world’s Top 10 solar cell and module SunPower operates manufacturing plants in different manufacturers (estimated by IHS iSuppli for 2013) sites, including in the Philippines. Chuck Boynton, Concentrated Off-Grid expertise: We would like to thank all those who contributed to the Off-Grid Experts’ Workshop 2013 and are already looking forward to next time on 25./26.09.2015. Until then, the Phaesun Off-Grid Experts will be pleased to Sun & Wind Energy 11+12/2013be at your disposal for your next Off-Grid project and further information about Off-Grid energy: www.phaesun.com59 PHOTOVOLTAICS CELL AND MODULE MANUFACTURERS Top 10 cell manufacturers — capacity in MW the company’s CFO, recently reported that SunPower has reached full manufacturing utilization and that it Company 2011 2012 is now considering whether to expand a production JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. 2,800 2,800 joint venture with Taiwanese electronics manufactur Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. 2,400 2,400 er AU Optronics Corp. or to build new production Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited 2,400 2,450 facilities. Trina Solar 1,900 2,400 The second nonChinese company in the Top 10 LDK Solar Co., Ltd 1,800 2,200 module manufacturers is Flextronics, which is based Canadian Solar Inc. 1,500 2,100 in Singapore and operates production lines in Hareon Solar Technology Co., Ltd. 1,500 2,100 Malaysia and Mexico. Flextronics has made its debut Motech Industries Inc. 1,500 1,500 in the Top 10 this year and shows that there is a new Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. 1,500 1,500 trend emerging in the global module production seg ment. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), JinkoSolar Co., Ltd. 1,450 1,450 the company produces modules, but does not offer them on the market. Typically, OEMs sell products to other manufacturers, which distribute them on the Top 10 module manufacturers — capacity in MW market under their own name. Flextronics is current ly listed as sixth largest module manufacturer in the Company 2011 2012 world. The company recently announced its plans to LDK Solar Co., Ltd 3,000 3,000 raise its production from 975 MW to 1,375 MW this Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd 2,450 2,450 year. This will help other manufacturers to make their Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited 2,400 2,450 offers more flexible and to serve a fluctuating de Canadian Solar Inc. 2,118 2,300 mand with OEM products. In addition, Chinese mod Trina Solar 1,900 2,400 ule manufacturers are provided with a possibility to Sharp Corporation 1,575 1,575 avoid the import restrictions and tariffs imposed by Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. 1,500 1,500 the European Union and to continue supplying the JinkoSolar Co., Ltd. 1,450 1,450 European solar markets the way they did before. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. 1,200 1,500 As a production location for solar cells, Taiwan is among those who benefit from this situation. Accord Jabil Circuit Inc. 1,020 1,020 ing to the market researcher TrendForce, 16 % of the Source: IHS iSuppli Corporation, company data solar cells that were sold globally in the first half of the year came from Taiwan. 40 % of these cells were exported to China, followed by Europe (17 %), Japan (12 %), the United States (6 %) and South Korea (4 %). “The reason for the enormous turnover in China is that Chinese module manufacturers who are affect ed by antidumping and punitive tariffs bought more solar cells from Taiwan,” says EnergyTrend. And Taiwan continues to be attractive. The agreement between Mascotte Holdings and Hareon Solar Technology, which plan to establish a 300 MW solar cell production in Taiwan, is an example of this. Shakeout reaches China According to NPD Solarbuzz, China’s leading role is not limited to the Top 10 companies. In the first quar ter of this year, 70 % of the modules sold on the mar ket were made by the 20 largest solar companies glo bally. “The continued consolidation of solar PV manu facturers is creating opportunities for the leading tierone module suppliers,” says Ray Lian, a Senior Analyst at NPD Solarbuzz. “The market share of the Solarpeace Corp.(Korea) top 20 module suppliers increased significantly in Tel:+86-186 8809 7799 the first quarter 2013 to 70 %, up from 58 % in the Email:[email protected] Website: www.solarpeace.net first quarter 2012.” Because of the globalization of the solar market, the major players, especially large SOLARFENNEL, Corp.(USA) Tel:+1-909-393-1866 Chinabased companies such as Yingli Green Energy, Email:[email protected] Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, JinkoSolar and ReneSola, Website: www.solarfennel.com are pursuing more aggressive marketing strategies.

Load more