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Solar module prices reached 57c/watt in 2015, to continue fall

Greentech Media

GTM Research provides a solar-module price analysis in the latest PV Pulse.
GTM Research provides a solar-module price analysis in the latest PV Pulse.

According to GTM Research’s latest edition of the PV Pulse, the global blended average price for a tier-1 Chinese-produced multicrystalline PV module fell 10 per cent year-over-year and reached US 57 cents per watt in the fourth quarter of 2015.

“While underwhelming demand in 2014 left its trace on pricing in early 2015, supply-demand tightness and tariffs drove price trends in the second half of the year,” said Jade Jones, a senior solar analyst at GTM Research.

Here are GTM Research’s estimates for component prices as of the fourth quarter of 2014.

Source: GTM Research PV Pulse, March 2016
Source: GTM Research PV Pulse, March 2016

Assuming a stable supply-demand landscape, GTM Research anticipates that global blended prices will steadily fall at an annualized rate of 5 percent and reach 44 cents per watt by 2020.

Source: GTM Research PV Pulse, March 2016
Source: GTM Research PV Pulse, March 2016

In the near term, GTM Research’s initial outlook sees polysilicon and wafer prices up year-over-year. Jones notes that the polysilicon pricing forecast is driven by inventory and margin recovery, while wafer prices are driven by a tight supply-demand balance. Cell and module prices are both expected to be down this year.

Source: Greentech Media. Reproduced with permission.

Comments

One response to “Solar module prices reached 57c/watt in 2015, to continue fall”

  1. James Fisher Avatar
    James Fisher

    There is no mention of exchange rates and their impact on module prices in this analysis (or at least the summary above.) Critically the RMB fell nearly 10% against the US$ in the past 12 months. This alone could account for the majority of the price reduction rather than a reduction in direct manufacturing costs. Maybe margins are beginning to fatten?

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