The world's photo-voltaic installed demand has increased significantly this year, and the prices of upstream and downstream products of the industry have been rising. With such a good market, the price of photo-voltaic glass has been exposed that suddenly dropped by about 30%. Is the price reduction true? What is the impact on PV module enterprises and the whole industry?

Why is the price of photo-voltaic glass reduced by 30%?

Recently, news of price reduction of photo-voltaic glass came out intensively in photo-voltaic industry. According to media reports, the price of 3.2mm coated photo-voltaic glass is expected to be reduced from 40RMB per square meter to less than 30 RMB per square meter. It is estimated that the price will drop by about 30%. Some organizations confirmed the news. The information analyst Wang Shuai from Zhuo Chuang also told reporters that the new price of photo-voltaic glass in April has dropped. Wang Shuai said: "in April, the new unit price: 3.2mm coating price is 28 RMB per square meter, down 30% month on month and 3.45% year on year. At present, the new orders of photo-voltaic glass machinery manufacturers are insufficient and the inventory growth is obvious. Due to the increase in inventory of some glass manufacturers, there is still room for bargaining. "

It is predicted by domestic and foreign organizations that the new installed capacity of photo-voltaic in the world this year will be as high as 180gw, a year-on-year increase of 27%. The new installed capacity of photo-voltaic in China will reach 55-65gw, a significant increase compared with last year. In this context, the price of photo-voltaic glass in the upstream of the industry is cut by 30%, and there is still room for negotiation, which obviously deviates from the heat of the whole photo-voltaic market. What is the reason? According to Wang Shuai's analysis, the main reason is that the downstream PV module enterprises are squeezed by the high cost of the upstream and have reduced production. Wang Shuai said: "after the Spring Festival, the price of silicon material rose significantly, the price of battery slice rose, the cost of other raw materials such as aluminum frame, welding strip and silver paste rose. Meanwhile, the price of glass was at a high level, and the cost of component manufacturers was higher than the selling price. Therefore, the operating rate dropped, and the comprehensive production of components decreased by 35% or more."

A person in the industry told reporters that at present, before the construction of domestic power stations, the cost of photo-voltaic modules is generally calculated according to the price of 1.65RMB per W, but this price is lower than the cost of module enterprises, so it is normal to reduce production. While, how good is the 30% price reduction of upstream photo-voltaic glass for module enterprises? Industry insiders said that photo-voltaic glass is only a small part of the cost of photo-voltaic modules, and the benefits brought by the price reduction are limited. At present, only when the prices of silicon and aluminum are adjusted, can the supply and demand of the whole industry chain be restored to balance. Industry insiders said: "although the demand for (components) is very good now, no one dares to supply, and no one dares to sign a large number of contracts, because they are all at a loss. If the downstream stops to put in due to the high price, the power station will not be put into operation, then the demand for components will drop, and that of silicon materials will also drop, reaching a balance. "

 At a recent press conference, the National Energy Administration said that photo-voltaic development will enter the stage of parity from this year, get rid of the dependence on financial subsidies, and realize market-oriented and competitive development. Industry insiders pointed out that if the price of upstream raw materials remains high, it is still a little difficult for photo-voltaic power generation to get on the grid at low price. Industry insiders said: "for example, in some places,such as Guangdong, some places in Northeast China and northern Hebei, it can be (affordable). But for most places, parity is still a little difficult to come true this year. "