Carrying out applied research throughout the entire process chain of wafer-based silicon solar module production, Fraunhofer CSP is currently working on improving the quality of wafer-thin silicon discs and in producing them as cheaply as possible.
Business has been good for a Scandinavian-Germana solar module manufacturer, Innotech Solar (ITS). It’s been so good that the company is planning to do something almost no other solar module manufacturers are doing right now — step up module production. It’s looking to increase its production capacity from 60 MW to 100 MW in the near future, with a possibility of reaching 170 MW of module production capacity if market conditions continue to grow.
One of the leading drivers for this increase in production, according to Dr Thomas Hillig, vice president of module sales and marketing at ITS, is the uncertainty surrounding the possible duties that will likely be imposed on China’s modules.
As he explained:
The solar sector is still undergoing a process of consolidation. Many solar manufacturers are selling their photovoltaic modules below production costs, are fitting cheap components in response to price pressure and to avoid disappearing from the market completely.
We, on the other hand, are able to survive successfully in the market thanks to our innovative production process. There is also an increase in demand for our European modules, because wholesalers and project planners don’t want to risk having to pay punitive duties on Chinese modules. The insolvency of many solar companies in the last few months justifies the need for anti-dumping duties. However, they could come too late for some players.