PV and solar-plus-storage costs have risen year-on-year (YoY) in the US, according to the annual price benchmarking analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
With reductions in wafer prices now sustained and further reductions expected, Carrie Xiao assesses the potential for cell and module prices to fall in tandem and speaks to manufacturers and developers in China.
Global solar PV deployment is on track to grow by 17% this year in spite of surging commodity prices increasing manufacturing costs, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Recent solar wafer and cell price increases from both LONGi Solar and Tongwei, which have seen prices rise by between 5.6 – 7.7%, have underscored heightened volatility in the solar supply chain.
China’s solar module market has returned from its National Day festival to yet another surge in module prices, which are now standing at two-year highs. PV Tech’s Carrie Xiao analyses the impacts of this most recent price increase as the industry steadies itself once again.
Solar manufacturer Tongwei increased the prices of its cells for the second time in a month on Monday, with polysilicon pricing also edging upwards this week.
China could install up to 65GW of solar this year, driven largely by a surge in demand for distributed solar installations, while average solar deployment could reach 90GW per year in the years leading up to 2025.
