In the year of 2007, China solar water heater market grew at a pace of around 30%, with the annual output reaching 23.4 million square meters. Up till now, China's total solar water heaters have covered approximately 108 million square meters. In 2007, China's total sales of solar water heater stood at around CNY32 billion. China had more than twenty solar water heater producers with each having an annual output value exceed CNY100 million in the year, including Shandong Huangming Solar Energy Group Co., Ltd, Shandong Linuo Group Co. Ltd., Jiangsu Sunrain New Energy Group, Shandong Sangle Solar Energy Co., Ltd, Beijing Tsinghua Solar Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Huayang Solar Water Heater Co., Ltd, Jiangsu Huaiyin Huihuang Solar Energy Co., Ltd, Jiangsu Sunshore Solar Energy Industry Co., Ltd and Tianpu Solar Energy Co., Ltd.
Let's look at the global market. In the period 2005 to 2006, the total capacity of solar-powered water heater/ heating system, not including solar-powered heating system in open-air swimming pools, rose 19.3% year on year to 128 GWth from 88GWth. It is estimated that in 2007, the capacity of solar water heater/heating system would be 128 GWth, up 15.7% year on year. When the discarded or eliminated heating systems were included, the year of 2006 would have a total increment of 18GWth in capacity globally. Meanwhile, China's addition of newly installed capacity rose 75.3%, ranking the first in the world in terms of newly installed capacity. China's export of solar water heaters, boosted by international market, also had a rise. In 2007, China's export value of solar water heater rose 28% year on year to US$65 million. The companies with big export value included Jiangsu Sunrain New Energy Group, Shandong Linuo Solar Energy Group and Beijing Tsinghua Solar Co., Ltd. Jiangsu Sunrain New Energy Group has set up companies in South Korea and Spain.
Regional Distribution of Global Solar Water Heater Market in 2006
Export Value of China Solar Water Heater, 2005-2007
From the perspective of some Chinese solar water heater producers' performance in 2008, sales volume of Jiangsu Sunshore Solar Energy Industry Co. in the first quarter jumped 76% year on year, while sales revenue of Shandong Sangle Solar Energy Co., Ltd. Increased by 56% and skyrocketed in April, 2.58 times the figure in the same period of a year ago. Jiangsu Sunrain New Energy Group's sales revenue in March of 2008 grew 66% year on year. The growth of market sales was, to a great extent, attributed to more efforts made in market promotion. The rising cost of raw materials has put pressure on solar water heater producers to raise prices of their products, already the most expensive one among the three types of water heaters. However, energy prices still have room to rise in the future, which will bring more potential consumption demands to solar water heater. Although China still has such problems that it doesn't have the policies like some other countries do for compulsory installation of solar products or subsidy granting, its solar energy producers are not equal in strength and its consumer-satisfaction degree is still not high, China's solar water heater as the best applied product in renewable energy market in China will still have a bright future. Industry competition will intensify, but China's solar water heater industry will become healthier after another round of reshuffle in the future.
