In the event that the European solar industry falls, Chinese prices would rise significantly. A glance at the annual financial statements of Chinese suppliers shows that instead of economizing, these companies are simply selling their PV modules below manufacturing costs.
In some instances, their losses are just as high as their sales, explains Dr. Thomas Hillig, Vice President Module Sales & Marketing at Innotech Solar. If Chinese manufacturers were not selling their modules at levels that distort the competition, their prices would actually be up to double as high.
According to Hillig, as soon as Europe loses its own photovoltaics industry, Chinese manufacturers would no longer provide their solar modules at unprofitable prices. Fair competition is only possible if all market players follow the same set of game rules. We are in no doubt that China is distorting the market for PV modules by dumping its products in a targeted manner and this unfair competition must not remain unpunished by the EU, continues Hillig.
If we do not act now to enforce anti-dumping duties that bring about a discernible increase in prices, Chinese suppliers will dramatically increase their module prices once the European competition has collapsed. Innotech Solars business model boasts an innovative production process that brings about cost benefits.
The companys in-house research teams have developed a process that economically restores the performance of low-efficiency solar cells to their full capacity by using thermal imaging to detect low-performing cell areas and automatically isolating them with special lasers. The company optimizes solar cells from different manufacturers in the German city of Halle an der Saale and manufactures all of its modules in Glava, Sweden.
Apart from its EVA film, which it obtains from the Japanese market leader for this material, Innotech Solar only uses components from European manufacturers of proprietary products. A multitude of tests by independent experts, such as the Fraunhofer Institute, Photovoltaik-Institut Berlin or PV Lab, have demonstrated the high performance, longevity and positive environmental impact of Innotech Solar modules.
