The MIP is no longer with us but some European manufacturers did manage to outlive it. Happily, a culture of innovation and a political will to support the sector could breathe new life into it.
With Europe to end the Minimum Import Prices (MIPs) on Chinese imports of solar cells and modules today, following a European Commission announcement late last week, PV Tech gathered initial responses from the industry.
The majority of member states have reportedly stuck to their original position in March 2017 calling for the trade measures to run out as soon as possible.
Major PV inverter manufacturer SMA Solar Technology has once again reiterated sales and earnings guidance for 2018, after reporting first half year results but has become increasingly bearish on the global solar market, while its solar product order backlog takes a dive.
According to European trade association SolarPower Europe, preliminary global solar installations reached 98.9GW in 2017, a 29.3% increase over the previous year and another new record.
Solar trade association SolarPower Europe has updated its global solar demand forecast for 2017, expecting to reach the 100GW level for the first time.
The European Commission has approved replacing the current Minimum Import Price (MIP) for module imports from China with a new reduced price on a sliding scale mechanism, despite receiving almost negligible support from member states.
The European Commission has proposed an alternative floor price setting mechanism to replace the minimum import price’s (MIP) current linkage to Bloomberg prices.
