Solar module prices have shown the continuous drop this week, mainly affected by the strong USD appreciation. Recently, EURO and JPY depreciation against USD has performed around 4% and 2% respectively. in Japan, alone with annual fiscal financial result, some major Japanese are forced to cut price.

Solar module prices have shown the continuous drop this week, mainly affected by the strong USD appreciation. Recently, EURO and JPY depreciation against USD has performed around 4% and 2% respectively. Moreover, in Japan, alone with annual fiscal financial result, some major Japanese are forced to cut module price more significantly to meet their sales targets. One the contrary, the active solar projects in the US help the local price stabilize. In China, although solar market remains cold, there is no fierce price competition, as Chinese solar panel makers have no intention to compete the limited projects. Without the meaning demand recovery but the negative currency impact, overall module price performs the continuous bearish.

After the serious price correction of major Taiwanese cell manufacturers, some Chinese cell producers and 2nd Taiwanese solar cell players eventually follow up the price so as to show the consecutive price drop. However, after securing lots of orders in early March, major Taiwanese solar cell makers are not doing the further price competition at this moment. Moreover, some solar players are still trying to offer high solar cell price, even though there is no transaction settled down in March. There solar cell players can help solar price tender now but extend the price pressure in late March, while the quarter result is approaching. In general, the dismal global demand leads to a sustained price pressure for all solar cell suppliers.
Thanks to the price cuts of poly-silicon, solar wafer suppliers have the room to adjust the price down further this week. Despite that, the 1st-tier Chinese multi wafer players tended to keep their price quotes in March. At the meantime, some 2nd Chinese wafer producers continue to adjust their prices down. With the continuous price competition, Korean and Taiwanese solar wafer makers successfully pass some pressures to poly-silicon makers for reducing their poly-silicon purchasing cost and taking the orders from their clients. Besides, major Chinese mono wafer producers continue to push down their price in order to boost the mono wafer demand, especially from major Chinese solar customers. Therefore, the price stress on mono wafer producers remained stronger multi ones.
The downstream price pressure and high inventory levels make poly-silicon producers to lose their grips on the price. After building up their inventories in January and February, major poly-silicon suppliers successfully keep their price adjustment slowly. When the quarterly financial result is approaching and the demand remains sluggish, major poly-silicon makers are not able to maintain their price levels to clear out their inventories. Moreover, poly-silicon buyers are also offsetting some price pressures from the downstream components as well.