L R AS Published on Sunday 29 November 2015 - n° 128 - Categories:the prices
Nothing new on the price side: fall in silicon, rise in wafers, cells and polycrystalline panels
This week the price of silicon fell further on the Chinese market, as a large quantity of silicon was sold below an agreed floor price. This has disrupted the market.
The price of polysilicon wafers has risen further due to insufficient production and despite the fact that capacity is fully utilised. This should lead to a further rise in December (+ $0.01 over November). The shortage is even more severe in China. Mono-silicon wafers, on the other hand, continue to crumble.
The price of cells continues to rise, and this should continue between now and January. Taiwanese cells with a minimum conversion rate of 17.8% are sold at $0.34/watt. Many producers believe that the rise will come to a halt with the Chinese New Year. At that time, weak world demand will cause prices to fall.
The Chinese market is looking for panels with high efficiency (over 265 watts) and therefore with high efficiency polycrystalline cells. This is due to the numerous power plant installations. The 260-watt panels have a price of 4.05 RMB per watt. This will tend to increase over the next few weeks.
Some photovoltaic systems have already received Chinese government subsidies. The profession will find itself separated between those linked to a national public company that will have cash in hand in 2016, and the private players who must continue their activity with a tight cash flow if the subsidies are not paid. Consequently, the small constructors could choose to withdraw from the Chinese market next year.
EnergyTrend of 26 November
