In the first six months of this year, the Brazilian solar market imported 1.10 GWp of monocrystalline modules, an increase of 450% compared to the first half of 2019, when 198 MWp were imported. This is what an exclusive survey carried out by the Canal Solar based on data from JCS Consultoria e Serviços, a research company on the photovoltaic sector.
The study showed that monocrystalline modules ed for 45% of imports in the solar sector from January to June 2020, almost doubling the total numbers in 2019, which between January and December was 24%.
Regarding polycrystalline modules, the study indicated that, in the first six months of this year, the Brazilian market imported 1.372 MWp, an increase of 30% compared to the first half of 2019, when 1.059 MWp were imported. From January to June 2020, they ed for 55% of imports.
According to Wladimir Janousek, a specialist in technologies and production processes for photovoltaic modules, since 2017, solar technology with polycrystalline cells has been dominant, representing more than 90% of the market for imported products. “However, as of 2019, monocrystallines are showing a very significant share of the market, almost matching the volume recorded for polycrystallines.”
For him, this change occurs due to the constant evolution of technology and the reduction in prices. “We saw that in 2019, the difference in the average price of mono to poly ranged from four to five cents per watt. It was a difference that still justified the choice of poly. At the end of last year, and from 2020 onwards, we saw the difference falling even further. Today, poly is between three and three and a half cents higher than mono. So, there was a very interesting reduction that, combined with the increase in the power of monocrystallines – which have always been more powerful – determined a great preference among consumers for these monocrystalline models”, explained Janousek.
Shortage of polycrystalline cells
The expert also commented that due to the explosions that took place in July at the GCL-Poly factory, in Xinjiang, China, a shortage of polycrystalline cells must be created to supply the solar market.
“The one who will benefit, then, will be the monocrystalline, which will have an opportunity to occupy this space. Polycrystalline was already losing ground among large manufacturers, who discontinued their entire product line with poly modules. LONGi, for example, no longer works with poly. JA basically works with more than 95% of production dedicated to monocrystalline cells. Canadian is perhaps still the only company that has a greater share in polycells, as they have a very large installed park and believe that they still have room to extract what little this technology has to offer. However, they are already migrating, or at least offering the same products in both technologies”, explained the specialist.
“Those who end up working with polycrystalline cells are companies that tend to have a more aggressive product and price strategy. They end up choosing poly also because of its versatility and low price, in order to try to have a market range in which this factor ends up being more predominant than the others”, concluded Janousek.
Total volume of imports
Including GC (centralized generation) and DG (distributed generation), the volume of photovoltaic modules destined for the Brazilian market in the first half of the year totaled 2.49 GW, 92% higher than that recorded in the same period of the previous year, according to a new strategic study by consultancy Greener.
Regarding the solar inverter market, in the first half of 2020, Brazil imported 2.46 GW, an increase of 128% compared to the same period in 2019, when 1.079 GW were imported.
