Solar PV cost per watt below $1 by Q1 2012 - ElectroIQ

Solar PV cost per watt below $1 by Q1 2012 - ElectroIQ






Figure. IHS iSuppli outlook for the cost of silicon + non-silicon content, gross margins and prices from top-tier module players, covering the second quarter for each year from 2011 to 2014.Share


June 17, 2011 -- Crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar photovoltaic (PV) modules will costs less than $1 per watt by Q1 2012, projects IHS iSuppli research. $1/W is the most broadly pursued goal of solar photovoltaics promoters. IHS iSuppli believes the benchmark could give a boost to PV installations globally and forestall a market downswing.

An accelerated, rapid decline in pricing came about after Intersolar Europe this month in Germany. Going into Intersolar, spot prices from the top Chinese brands, among the major players in the market, had been running at $1.49 per watt for mainstream c-Si modules. By the time Intersolar closed, prices had fallen to $1.30 per watt. IHS iSuppli states that this could have happened because of the predicted flat or negative growth forecast for 2012. Top-tier module brands lowered prices to gain market share in the face of slowed growth or a market decline, explained Henning Wicht, senior director and principal analyst, photovoltaics, at IHS. Solar wafers have experienced price declines in 2011 as well: wafers were quoted in the $2.30 per-piece range in June, down from $3.50 in March.