Solar Cell Prices Stabilize at US$ 0.50 per Watt

By Tech Wire Asia | 20 February, 2012

Taiwan-based solar cell manufacturers have expressed difficulty making a profit, even with prices stabilizing at US$ 0.50 to 0.55 per Watt.

In this file photo, worker fixes a solar panel at a factory in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. Solar cell manufacturers from Taiwan and China report difficulties in earning profits even with solar cell prices increasing and settling at a steady US$ 0.50 to 0.55 per Watt. (AP)

Even amid snows affecting installations among European customers, Taiwan-based solar firm producers report an increase in orders, forecast to peak this February. Still, demand is still limited at this time, compared with manufacturers’ capacity.

According to sources cited by DigiTimes, manufacturers offer a wholesale price of US$ 0.48 per Watt for bulk orders. For Taiwan firms, the stabilizing prices are still too low to make solid profits. The same trend is evident in China, with prices of higher-output solar cells priced at US$ 0.57 per Watt.

Elsewhere, solar-related businesses are likewise feeling the pinch. Japanese firm Sharp has recently announced results of its fiscal third quarter 2011 financial performance, and cites a 33.5% decline in revenue due to price drops.