- Prices of p-type PERC solar modules in Europe are currently approaching the €0.10/W threshold, according to Leen van Bellen, business development manager Europe for Search4Solar, a Netherlands-based purchasing platform for solar panels, inverters and battery solutions.
Van Bellen said the number of modules stockpiled in European warehouses is lower than commonly thought. He questioned the amount announced by Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy in July, when it said 80 GW of solar modules were still unsold.
“Assuming 400 W panels, 80 GW is the equivalent of 240,000 containers,” van Bellen said. “There are now 40 tier 1 manufacturers and no one we speak to has more than a few hundred to sometimes several thousand containers. Non-tier-1 manufacturers have up to several dozen. The medium-sized distributors have fifty to one hundred containers, and the large distributors have one hundred to two hundred and fifty. If we add up all the findings and inquiries, we arrive at 50,000 to 80,000 containers.”
Van Bellen said that Search4Solar doesn’t have warehouses or stocks, but it works with the stocks of manufacturers, distributors, and installers.
“This means we are kept well informed and therefore have an accurate insight into European stocks,” he said.
Author: Emiliano Bellini
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
