The Solar Bargain Gets Better

Solar Panels Now So Cheap Manufacturers Probably Selling at Loss

Chris Martin, December 30, 2016 (Bloomberg News)

“Solar manufacturers led by China’s Trina Solar Ltd. are probably selling at a loss after prices fell to a record low this week...The global spot market price for solar panels fell 2.4 percent to an average of 36 cents a watt on Dec. 28…Suppliers are expanding capacity this year while demand is expected to slow in 2017, helping to push prices down…The current price is also lower than cost estimates from Trina…of about 40 cents a watt by the end of the year…Some companies’ cost structures remain competitive, even with prices this low…Canadian Solar Inc., the second-biggest supplier, reported costs of 37 cents in the third quarter…and it expects to reach 29 cents a watt by the fourth quarter of 2017. Many of its competitors expect costs in the low 30s by then…” click here for more

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