Retail Price Summary - January 2012 Update
The first result of 2012 shows a very similar outcome to the final one of 2011. Retail prices are still dropping, just not as rapidly as they did during most of 2011.
The ratio of declines to rises is still strongly in favor of the former at 7.5:1. This ratio is still close to the highest ratio of 2011 of 7.6:1 in September 2011.
The magnitude of the individual price moves, though, is much smaller than last year.
The declines in the US and European indices also come from new modules entering the survey that enter at highly competitive low prices.
These survey additions are consistent with the growth in Chinese and other Asian producers in these markets. This month examples of module model additions came from ET Solar, Canadian Solar, Trina Solar, S-Energy, Ecosolargy and also from long established Japanese manufacturers like Sharp and Kyocera Solar.
Looking at the industry position as a whole, the rate of decline in the index values is being slowed by reductions in cell and module production in recent quarters compared to manufacturers’ prior plans as the industry continues to respond to a slower pace of market growth.
Lowest Retail Prices ($/Wp)
Currently, 313 solar module prices are below $2.00 per watt (€1.54 per watt) or 28% of the total survey. In December, there were 281 price points below $2.00 per watt (€1.54 per watt), which was 25% of the survey.
The lowest retail price for a multicrystalline silicon solar module is $1.14 per watt (€0.88 per watt) from a US retailer. The lowest retail price for a monocrystalline silicon module is $1.28 per watt (€0.99 per watt), from an Asian retailer. Brand, technical attributes, and certifications do matter. The lowest thin film module price is at $1.15 per watt (€0.89 per watt) from a Germany-based retailer. As a general rule, it is typical to expect thin film modules to be at a price discount to crystalline silicon (for like module powers). This thin film price is for a 100 watt module.
Price Index Context
The module cost is around 35-40% of the total installed cost of a solar energy system. Prices are based upon the purchase of a single solar module and are exclusive of sales taxes. Information on volume discounts, factory gate, and PV system pricing is available as part of our consulting services.
