Featured in Trade barriers spoil solar's party – 09-2019

PERC cells: From shortage to surplus

After the “June rush” to complete solar projects in China – as well as the commissioning rush in Vietnam, which saw higher-than-expected demand of 4 GW in the first half – the growth of the regional solar market started to slow down in July and August, before anticipated Chinese demand picks up the slack again. With unexpectedly low demand in the third quarter, module manufacturers reacted first by marginally reducing utilization rates. Cell producers then cut production after cell prices collapsed.

By

pv magazine

16 Sep 2019

Corrine Lin is Chief Analyst at Taiwan-based PV InfoLink. She works on market conditions, spot market prices, capacity expansions, and production technology across the supply chain. | Image: pv magazine/David Tacon

In 2018, the cell segment had the lowest capacity in the supply chain, and that kept profitability of mono PERC cells above 15%. Driven by high profits, many cell manufacturers expanded capacity at a faster pace, while vertically integrated companies also ramped up existing manufacturing capacity for PERC cells. Consequently, new plans to expand PV …

This article is part of pv+

Subscribe digitally to unlock exclusive investigative reporting, expert insights, in-depth analysis, and premium background coverage. Your subscription also includes full access to the digital edition of our magazine.