The Japan and the US markets directly or indirectly accounted for 50% and 30% of total orders received by Taiwan-based crystalline silicon solar cell makers in 2013, according to industry sources.
The total capacity of PV systems installed around the world in 2013 is estimated at 35-36GWp, consisting of 10GWp in China, 7GWp in Europe (3.5GWp in Germany), 5GWp in Japan, 4.5GWp in the US and 8.5-9.5GWp in other countries, the sources said.
While the outlook for the global PV market in 2014 is optimistic, Taiwan solar cell makers will face two potential threats, one that the government in Japan may lower feed-in tariffs, and that Germany-based SolarWorld's US subsidiary has filed with the US International Trade Commission and Department of Commerce complaining against Taiwan-based solar cell makers cooperating with China-based PV module suppliers to evade anti-dumping and anti-subsidization tariffs imposed by the US government on China-produced PV modules, the sources indicated.