solar panels

Three decades after China first began solar panel production, the country has developed into a key maker and exporter of the product. The past two years, in particular, have seen commendable export growth rates. According to China's Renewable Energy Development Center of the Energy Institute, the country's output of solar panels grew phenomenally in 2004, reaching 150MW as compared to a mere 13MW in 2003. Capacity also increased substantially from 50MW in 2003 to 300MW last year, as suppliers rushed to meet soaring demand from Europe. Customs statistics for China's exports of solar panels and cells are not available. However, figures for the combined exports of a variety of electric components including PV cells show shipments totaling US$496 million in the 10 months to October 2004. This is a whopping 50 percent increase over total exports in 2003, which totaled US$329 million. China suppliers produce both crystalline (in mono- and polycrystalline versions) and amorphous solar panels, but crystalline panels account for 80 percent of the country's total solar panel output. Makers focus on crystalline panels as their higher efficiency rating (the ratio of output energy to input energy) means a wider range of applications, and thus a bigger target market.