Hanhwa Q Cells No.2 in Japanese solar module shipment¡¦ Fierce competition with a leader

[ Yang Ji Yun galileo@ ] | 2017-08-17 10:07:49
Hanwha Chemical has already reached the No. 2 position in solar cell module shipments in six years after entering the Japanese market and now very close to No.2

Local companies have the highest technological power in the world in the Japanese solar cell market, and their self-esteem and preference for the domestic market is high, leading to overseas companies` `patronage`. In particular, Japan calls itself "the country of the sun" enough to put the sun on the flag, and is doing enough to connect the photovoltaic industry with national pride.

In this kind of country, Hanhwa Q Cells has attracted a lot of attention as it is the first Kyocera after defeating Sharp and Panasonic.

According to the Japanese architectural magazine Smart House on August 16, Hanwha Q Cells ranked second in solar cell module shipments in Japan last year, following 700MW (megawatt), followed by Japan`s Kyocera (935MW).

Japan`s Sharp (632MW), which Honghai acquired in Taiwan last year, has been ranked third, and Canadian Solar (630MW) and Yingli Solar (590MW) were fourth and fifth respectively.

In the global market last year, module shipments of Hanwha Chemical were 4.58GW (gigawatts). China`s Gingko Solar took the top spot with 6.65GW, followed by Chinese companies such as Triathlon (6.13GW), Canadian Solar (5.23GW) and JA Solar (5.17GW). Meanwhile, LG Electronics ranked 10th with 800MW.

Hanwha has entered the Japanese market in 2011.

It is the second largest solar cell module maker in Korea in 2013 and the sixth largest maker in the domestic market in 2013, followed by Kyocera, the pride of the Japanese solar industry.

It has been analyzed that Hanwha Q Cells is a so called grave of foreign companies, and the main reason behind it is the fact that it responded flexibly to market trend quickly.

Japan`s demand for solar power generation subsidies (FIT), which gave subsidies to solar power generation companies in 2012, has exploded every year. However, growth has slowed down since 2015. The subsidy, which was 40 yen per kWh in 2012, fell to half this year at 21 yen.

Hanwha Chemical has strengthened its operations by introducing a Q.PARTNER system that provides proven service in the residential market, while responding to market changes by launching Q.MAX, a low-pressure product in the commercial market. .

The solar industry expects Hanwha Chemical`s module shipments in the first half of this year to be 400MW, up 14% from last year.

It is highly likely to overtake Kyocera within the next one to two years. Large-scale PV projects are declining every year in Japan. However, home solar power generation is expected to continue to grow. The Japanese government has decided to oblige all new buildings to have `zero energy houses` (homes with zero energy consumption due to self-renewable energy at home) from 2020. Demand for home-use photovoltaic modules will steadily increase is the forecast of experts.

A representative of Hanwha Chemical said, "If we can make a difference in the Japanese market, which has high standards for quality and high pride in its products, it means that we can achieve good results anywhere in the world."


By Yang Ji Yun galileo@


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