According to EnergyTrend’s survey, German government’s decision to cut solar subsidies from July 1st has instead prompted more advance orders; hence battery and module makers have reached full production capacity, leading to a continuous supply shortage. EnergyTrend also finds out in the survey that current cell market quotes still maintain uptrend.
The price of the polycrystalline silicon solar energy cell ranges from $1.35/Wp to $1.55/Wp while the monocrystalline silicon solar energy cell prices are between €1.4/Wp and €1.6/Wp. And the average cell price is at $1.4/Wp. In terms of the price trend, the average price maintains $1.3/Wp in Q1 but drops about 5% from Q409. In the Q2 outlook, the price will continue to rise in April and May with an increase of 3%~5% each month but expected to grow by 3% in June. The Q2 average price is predicted to be $1.41/Wp, up 8.7% from Q1.
On the other hand, due to the influence of the debt crisis in Eurozone, the foreign currency exchange risk heightens with widening fluctuations in recent exchange rates, so relevant makers currently make quotes based on the US dollar. Besides, although the Southern Europe has generated greatest solar energy demand apart from Germany, the credit problem across this region has aroused concerns about the whole market demand for the latter half of the year. Plus, the German reduction of solar subsidies from July 1st will affect the consumer’s purchase will of solar energy systems.
In conclusion, EnergyTrend believes that the July demand will be slightly affected, resulting in a slim decline in cell prices.