Global photovoltaic industry prosperity hidden behind the crisis

Sinochem New Network News “The global photovoltaic industry has seen explosive growth, but it also implies a huge crisis, mainly in the regional development is still uneven, the traditional market policy tightening, and international trade protectionism has risen.” Recently held in Xi’an, Shaanxi low At the Carbon Industry and Recycling Economy Expo and the photovoltaic industry economic development forum, Li Junfeng, deputy director of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission of China, believes that the rapid expansion of China's photovoltaic industry and the ongoing decline in the prices of photovoltaic products have triggered trade protection in Europe and the United States.

Li Junfeng said that in 2010, the global photovoltaic market continued its strong growth, with 16.6 GW of new installed capacity for photovoltaic power generation and a cumulative installed capacity of nearly 40 GW. Among them, crystalline silicon cells accounted for the leading position in the photovoltaic market, with a market share of 86.1% in 2010. He believes that the hidden crisis behind the current global photovoltaic industry's explosive growth, regional development remains unbalanced. On the one hand, Germany, Italy, France, Japan and other international traditional market policies tightened. For example, Germany adjusted the on-grid tariff on July 1, 2011. In February, the French government announced a 20% reduction in PV subsidies. On the other hand, the rapid expansion of emerging markets, China last year installed more than 500 megawatts of photovoltaic power, a year-on-year increase of more than three times, 13 GW of solar cell module production, accounting for almost 60% of global production; India identified the Nehru National Sun The action plan aims to become a global leader in solar energy, plans to deploy 20 GW by 2020, and this year also announced a new PV tax law.

In addition, the rapid expansion of China's photovoltaic industry and the ongoing decline in the prices of photovoltaic products have caused the rise of trade protection in Europe and the United States. Recently, several U.S. solar panel manufacturers filed an application with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) requesting the U.S. government to conduct anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations on solar cells (plates) that China exports to the United States. The failure of the batch of photovoltaic power generation companies was blamed on Chinese companies, and the EU may also join them. Countries such as the United States, Italy, and Canada have raised the proportion of local procurement.

Li Junfeng pointed out that at present, there is an excess of photovoltaic capacity, and the demand for global battery modules within 5 years will hardly exceed 50 GW. This year, China's battery module production capacity may exceed 30 GW. Some companies blindly follow suit to expand production, resulting in a sharp drop in the prices of battery modules and polysilicon. The export of China's photovoltaic new energy products has been hindered and it will be more difficult to go overseas. This will worsen the global PV industry, which is at a low tide. He suggested that Chinese PV companies carry out technological innovations and vigorously develop domestic emerging markets.