Global solar module prices stabilize as markets absorb news of US elections and policy changes – PV USA Magazine

November 22, 2024
OPIS

FOB China: China Modular Marker (CMM), the OPIS benchmark for TOPCon modules from China, was stable at $0.087/W free on board (FOB) in China, with price points between $0.085 and $0.095/W.

Several tier 1 manufacturers increased their selling prices following news that the export tax credit for photovoltaic products will be reduced from 13% to 9%, effective December 1st. Affected products include monocrystalline silicon wafers greater than 15.24 cm in diameter and photovoltaic cells, both assembled. and disassembled into modules.

China’s top five manufacturers told OPIS that lower discounts have led to contract renegotiations, although the full effect is still being assessed. Meanwhile, another industry source suggested that cutting discounts is unlikely to solve China’s oversupply problem as manufacturers could pass on the extra costs to buyers.

In other policy updates, the Brazilian government raised the import duty on photovoltaic cells assembled into non-quota-compliant modules from 9.6% to 25% for some companies. However, the intra-quota tariff will remain at 0% until June 30, 2025.

DDP Europe: TOPCon module prices fell by 0.99%, with average values ​​estimated at €0.100 ($104.7)/W and ranging from a low of €0.080/W to a high of €0.115/W for Tier 1 panels.

According to the sources, prices from sellers “seeking to quickly reduce their inventories” reached a new low of 0.055 euros/wp, even exceeding the threshold of 0.06 euros/wp.

Freight rates published by Drewry for the China/East Asia – Northern Europe and Ocean route rose 2% this week to US$4,043 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU). This corresponds to $0.0095/W.

US DDP: Prices remain stable week after week: OPIS estimates the spot price for commercial TOPCon DPP US modules to be US$0.285/W, while forward forecasts show the price slightly higher in Q1 2025 at US$0.296/W and modules Mono PERC for the same delivery period at $0.284/W.

While the industry continues to absorb news of Donald Trump’s victory and its implications for future US energy policy, the import market is generally quiet. One major developer source said the spot price for TOPCon service modules continues to fluctuate between $0.22-0.23/W from Indonesia and Laos, $0.25-0.26/W from India and $0.28- 0.30/W from Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and other countries. Thailand.

An installation company source said prices for residential Mono PERC modules assembled in the US with imported components range between the high $0.20/W and mid $0.30/W. The source is currently considering a deal to provide US modules by 2025 from a tier 1 manufacturer at a price of around US$0.20/W.

The same source said they are still seeing spot prices for residential modules from Southeast Asia ranging from the low tens to the low $0.20/W as manufacturers continue to try to clear inventory, adding that much of the cheaper goods may be saddled with tariff risk associated with the December 3 Usage Deadline.

OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides energy prices, news, data and analysis on gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG/LNG, coal, metals and chemicals, as well as renewable fuels and environmental products. It acquired pricing data from the Singapore Solar Exchange in 2022 and now publishes the weekly OPIS APAC Solar report.