Suntech just announced that it has sold out of its solar panels through the second quarter of 2010. Reuters quotes Steve Chadima, vice president of external affairs at Suntech, explaining the situation:
“We were basically in a sold-out situation in Q4 and we’re in a sold-out situation at least through Q2. We’re basically selling anything we can produce and I know we’re not alone.”
Demand for solar panels is back up from a low point last year, especially in markets that have adopted incentives for the use of solar power. Suntech maintains 20% gross margins for its panels currently, but analysts quoted in Reuters do not believe that the increased demand will lead to increased panel prices for solar panel manufacturers.
Other highlights from the article..
– Japan is coming back very strong
– Chinese solar market may need another 9 – 18 months to really take off because proposed government aid is low
– Expects Germany to cut solar subsidies by about 10% sometime in the middle of the year which is creating an increase in demand