Quality modules from German production with cells from Asia? Cheap providers pick up customers before the boom phase. The emerging Asian solar companies have discovered the German market and conquer them more and more for themselves. German suppliers increasingly lose out, however, even on its home market and leave market shares from year to year. According to the European Photovoltaikverbands EPIA epia.org faces the Federal Republic in the face of exploding demand for solar plants an enormous industry boom. However, it is approximately the mirror according to the rise of manufacturers from China, Taiwan and Japan, which should push the sector in this country in the next five years. The German company had, however, little of the anticipated sales increases.
The German providers try to make the price war with Asian manufacturers to the Germany market by outsourcing parts of their production to Asia”, says an industry insider. So many companies were started, even components of solar systems in Low-wage countries how to order China to cut production costs and to be able to offer modules in this country more affordable. The Freiburger module manufacturer Solar-Fabrik has, for example, a cell supply contract with Chinese solar producer Yes solar announced. China Sunergy sells according to the Dresdner module manufacturer solar watt solar cells. Whether is the German manufacturer in the price war can say solar and Suntech Power players such as Yingli Green Energy, Trina, a question of market positioning as a quality but is high-quality player against low-cost carriers.
In addition to components such as solar cells, pushing Asian provider with all modules on the German market. A large part of the solar modules produced in China is sold in Europe. The quality of brand modules from China is now comparable to that of European or American”, explains Bernd Schussler, spokesman of the solar power magazine photon. Finally, a large part of production technology come from Western countries. Some German companies have the turnover in the backward direction. To produce a solar module from a wafer, some Chinese manufacturer requires about half as much money as some of Europe”, explains Saeed. Through the module price decline, consumer demand is stimulated for solar systems. EPIA according the Federal Republic should expand the solar power until 2013 at a “moderate” development to more than 17,000 megawatts. In the case of an extreme scenario is to assume even more than 21,000 megawatts. In the coming five years the previously installed capacity would triple, what essentially was in addition to the low investment cost on Government-guaranteed returns. “I can’t share this scenario by iKratos, we sell German modules rising 60% currently. “I think here, a reconnaissance by the consumer is necessary, is not quantity but quality decides on duration, also the corresponding components are very important, what good is the best engine when driving with a flat tire”, so Willi Harhammer, Managing Director of iKratos of the Franconian metropolitan area of Nuremberg.