Solar PV products’ spot prices remained stable despite the current RMB currency devaluation and globally financial tumbles during the past week. Instead, strong demand for PV products sustained the spot prices so that PV manufacturers are planning to raise the prices in September, found EnergyTrend.
In China, polysilicon’s spot prices remained between RMB115/kg and RMB118/kg. EnergyTrend expects that the demand in September will be stronger than in August and the China-made polysilicon’s quotes would be raised.
China-made muiti-si wafers’ quotes ranged from RMB5.8/pc to RMB6/pc, which were lower than Taiwan-made multi-si wafers’ US$0.82~0.825/pc prices. The gap was caused by the depreciated RMB currency exchange rates to US dollar during the past week. As a result, PV cell makers have more options when they choose multi-si wafer suppliers. This also limits wafers’ price raise in the early September.
In contrast with multi-si wafers, demands to mono-si wafers were not strong enough to consume the massive production capacity. Many mono-si wafers were consumed by producing PV cells through OEM cooperation. Adding the depreciation of RMB currency, it is projected another wave of price decrease in September.
Taiwanese PV cells have higher conversion efficiency for the makers to continue raising the spot prices in September regardless of the devaluation of RMB currency. EenergyTrend expects an US$0.32/W average price for Taiwan-made PV cells with efficiency higher than 17.8% in September. Meanwhile, China-made high efficiency PV cells’ spot prices were RMB2.19~2.23/W, and are also expected to slightly rise in next month.
Among the economic recession, orders to China-made PV modules remained strong and are expected to expand until the end of 2015. Furthermore, China may exceed its 17.8GW solar capacity target, the prices is likely to remain despite the recession and currency devaluation in the short-term. Nonetheless, it is uncertain if China’s solar installation target in 2016 would be impacted by the economic conditions.