Thin-film solar cell gains favor amid China's subsidy policy
Shenyin & Wanguo Securities said that it would need less time for thin-film cell to generate electricity at a cost close to grid power than crystal silicon solar cells.
It's expected that the power generation cost of thin-film solar cells would approach grid parity in 2012, and crystal silicon cells would reach the target in 2020.
Now, the installation cost for crystal silicon solar power (OTCBB:SOPW) stations stands at RMB20.00/watt while that for thin-film one is about RMB12.00yuan/watt. Thin film solar cell is cheaper.
Industry insider said that thin-film solar cells generated 10 percent more electricity than that of crystal silicon cells.
Chinese solar product makers like SunTech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE:STP) (STP.NYSE), Astronergy Solar, Best Solar and Baoding Tianwei Solar Film Company plans to realize mass production of thin-film solar cells within 2009.
China recently released a subsidy scheme on solar rooftop projects providing RMB20 yuan/watt-peak subsidies for solar PV power projects with single installed capacity exceeding 50 kWp.
It's estimated that the incentive policy for solar technology provided no less than two billion yuan of subsidies in 2008.
And by now, China has 40 MW of installed solar PV power generation capacity, according to Haitong Securities.
China is expected to extend subsidies to solar PV power plants following the solar rooftop plan.
