Japan is still one of the top three PV markets in the world, according to analysts such as Solarbuzz. However, opportunities for non-Japanese press to speak at length with figures from that country’s industry are often limited. PV Tech spoke to Atsuhiko Hirano, senior vice president of Japanese thin-film company Solar Frontier at Intersolar Europe 2014.
In an in-depth interview, Hirano explained how exactly the company’s new module factory in north east Japan would serve as a “blueprint” for expansion into other territories, why the company returned to Intersolar this year after a three year absence and where Solar Frontier sees the place of thin-film PV within an ever-changing industry.