In the volatile photovoltaic industry, there is not a lot of time to pause for reflection.
Mid-year finds average module prices down for all technologies, with reports of some thin films at ~80 US cents/Wp (this is a region-specific price for a-Si), and prices for some c-Si manufacturers at <$1.40/Wp. Sufficient inventory on the demand side is leading to installer-installer sales, further pressuring down prices for technology manufacturers. The price pressure on technology manufacturers is unlikely to ease in the future as lower incentives push prices down, under the assumption that technology prices correctly represent manufacturing costs. Figure 1 (below) presents average prices over time in the PV industry. Though costs have fallen consistently since the beginning of the terrestrial industry, prices have increased during periods of profit taking and decreased to at or below cost during periods of aggressive pricing for share and slow demand.
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