Suntech lost championship of solar module shipment to First Solar in 2Q11

Focus 1: Thin-film player topped the ranking again - First Solar, the thin-film solar module maker, back to No. 1 of solar module shipment. The ranking of top 10 solar module companies in order is First Solar, Suntech, Yingli, Trina ,Sharp, Canadian, Jinko, Hanwha Solarone, REC and Sunpower. The four up-going companies are First Solar, Canadian, Jinko and REC; and the three down-going companies are Suntech, Hanwha Solarone and Sunpower. First Solar topped the first place with 483MW solar module shipments. Suntech, had been leading the solar module ranking for three quarters, yielded its place with about 476MW shipment in the second quarter. Yingli Solar jumped to No.3 position since 1Q11 and remained the position in 2Q11; or you can view it in other way, Yingli Solar switched its position with Sharp, who was the no. 3 in 4Q10 and now the no. 5 in 2Q11. Trina Solar stayed unchaned to no. 4 in 2Q11. Canadian Solar, Jinko Solar both climbed up for one position upward, leaving Hanwha Solarone behind. Canadian Solar, Jinko Solar and Hanwha Solarone named no.6, no.7, and no.8, respectively. The remaining two companies in top 10 ranking were REC and Sunpower; they took the no.9 and no.10, respectively. PVinsights forecasts that Suntech and First Solar will be very close with their 2011 total shipments. Besides, price gap between silicon based and thin-film based solar module manufacturers are getting close. (Detail shipment numbers, refer to PVinsights premier report First Solar regained championship from Suntech in 2Q11 Detail cost numbers, refer to PVinsights premier services)

Focus 2: More centralized in solar module market - Top 10 solar module companies took over half of the market share while the top 3 took 23.8% market share. Suntech, as the biggest solar module company in 2Q11, dominates the market with 8.2% market share. Suntech, just one step behind, got a pretty close 8.1% market share. Yingli and Trina are the remaining two companies with over 5% market shares. The market share of Yingli is 7.5%. The top 3 took 23.8% market share, almost a quarter of the overall market. The remaining seven companies of top 10 (Trina, Sharp, Canadian, Jinko, Hanwha Solarone, REC and Sunpower) totaled with 28.1% market share. The top 10 solar module companies gained 51.9% market share while other companies behind top 10 got only 48.1% market share. PVinsights indicates that the solar module market is going more centralized. (Detail market share numbers, refer to PVinsights premier report First Solar regained championship from Suntech in 2Q11)

 

 

 

Focus 3: Chinese solar module companies are playing more important role. Top 10 module companies took over half the market share. The market share of top 10 module companies rose in 2Q11 to 51.9%, meaning a 1.8% market share rise. To emphasize is that Chinese companies were taking more important role than before. IF we look back the market share of the top five Chinese solar companies ranked in 2Q11, which are Suntech, Yingli, Trina, Canadian and Jinko, a huge advancement form 17.2% market share in 1Q09 to 30% market share in 2Q11. The five Chinese solar module companies almost doubled their totaling market share in 2.5 years and they took nearly one-third of the worldwide market. Especially in 2011, many Chinese solar module companies kept expanding their capacity and shipment goals ignoring that the overall market is slowing down than in 2010. The effect is clear that these five Chinese module companies got huge market share jump, from 27.2% in 1Q11 to 30% in 2Q11, an astonishing 2.8% market share improvement. PVinsights indicates that Chinese manufacturers are playing more important role than before in that they are good in cost, technology and market potential. (Detail numbers of top 5 Chinese solar module companies during 1Q09~2Q11, refer to PVinsights premier report First Solar regained championship from Suntech in 2Q11)

          

 

Focus 4: Giga-Watt game is undergoing - Six of top 10 can produce over 1 GW solar modules per year. PVinsights has indicated that Giga-watt game is forming in solar industry in 2011. In 2Q11, six companies reached one Giga-watt annualized shipment; however, the number in 1Q09 is zero. Sooner or later, the day that all top 10 solar module companies ship over 1GW solar modules per year will come. PVinsights indicates that top 10 solar module companies will convert huge number of shipments into competitive ability. With significantly growing shipment in solar modules, top 10 solar module companies benefit more than before in many aspects such as branding awareness, economic scale, financing capability and vertical integrated potential. (Detail shipment numbers to enter top 10 solar module companies during 1Q09~2Q11, refer to PVinsights premier report First Solar regained championship from Suntech in 2Q11)

  

 

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