Prices of Chinese solar modules reach their lowest level

2023-09-13

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick overview of key pricing trends in the global photovoltaic industry.

Image: OPIS

According to pv magazine International

Prices of Chinese solar modules have fallen to their lowest value on record, according to OPIS data. The Chinese Module Marker (CMM), OPIS' benchmark assessment, indicates that prices for China's Mono PERC modules and TOPCon modules fell for the first time in five weeks to $0.151 (€0.14 )/W and $0.157 (€0.15)/W respectively.

Competition from new entrants

The more than 7% drop in prices for CMM and TOPCon modules comes as many sellers are fighting for market share. There are “more new players in the market who want to sell their products and can only compete on price with the major tier 1 module manufacturers,” said a solar market veteran.

One of these large manufacturers could offer prices as low as $0.150 (€0.14)/W for Mono PERC modules if payment is made in advance, one source said, while TOPCon prices as low as $0.153/W – sparking disbelief in some – was reported during the OPIS weekly market survey. Even at these low price levels, developers are not buying because they expect prices to fall further and will only enter the market then, the source added.

The impact of stocks

According to one experienced market observer, "we are now entering an interesting period" marked, among other factors, by "high inventory levels overseas." Module suppliers in Europe are facing a heavy inventory burden , so much so that it is a “red sea market,” said a person working for a leading module maker.

Weakness is also evident in other export markets. In Southeast Asia, a module seller at the ASEAN Sustainable Energy Week (ASEW) in Bangkok told OPIS that he saw very limited sales on the first day of the event, even though it is usually the time when transactions are the largest. In Latin America, the lowest price for Mono PERC modules at Intersolar South America in Brazil was $0.130 (€0.12)/W, a source said.

Looking ahead, the market expects prices to rise in the short term due to increasing costs of individual module components. Prices of sodium carbonate, used to make photovoltaic glass, have risen significantly, one source said, while another said the same of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), used as an encapsulant. for the modules.

More generally, however, concerns about overcapacity continue to loom large and could ultimately push prices down. “Remember, 1 CNY (€0.13)/W before the end of the year,” warned a market veteran.

OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides energy prices, information, data and analysis on gasoline, diesel, kerosene, LPG/NGL, coal, metals and chemicals , as well as renewable fuels and environmental commodities. It acquired pricing data from the Singapore Solar Exchange in 2022 and now publishes the OPIS APAC Solar Weekly Report.