| Work Detail |
Solar module prices in Europe rose this week for the first time in months, says Bart Wansink, CEO of Search4Solar, a European sales platform for PV products. He tells pv magazine that prices could climb quickly in the coming weeks. Search4Solar – a European platform for buying and selling solar panels, inverters, and batteries – received price updates this week from 10 undisclosed manufacturers, showing an increase of more than 20%. The company said tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) module prices for residential and commercial projects now stand at around €0.10 ($0.10)/W, up from about €0.07/W in October. It also said that prices for all-black solar panels have reached €0.12/W. CEO Bart Wansink said passivated emitter rear cell (PERC) solar panel prices, including for 400 W panels, remain around €0.077/W to €0.08/W. “This makes them relatively affordable compared to newer technologies like n-type TOPCon or HJT panels,” he told pv magazine. “However, these PERC panels are becoming increasingly scarce. Manufacturers are shifting their production to more efficient and advanced technologies, which means that the availability of traditional PERC panels is rapidly decreasing. Once the existing stock is sold out, PERC panels will largely disappear from the market, and prices for alternative panels will likely be higher.” Search4Solar said it expects more price increases after the Chinese New Year. “Manufacturers are no longer willing to produce below cost, increasing market pressure,” the company said in a statement. “This week, Search4solar has found several suppliers still offering solar panels at €0.08/W, but these prices will increase by 15% as of Feb. 1.” In a recent interview with pv magazine, two OPIS analysts revealed that slight rebounds in the upstream solar market started approximately three weeks ago. “This originates from polysilicon production outputs, which have been reduced by all major polysilicon makers,” said Summer Zhang, senior analyst for solar supply chain at OPIS. “There are very few signs that panel prices may increase before the end of the Chinese New Year holiday. On the other hand, oversupply is still there.” |
