At Solar Taiwan 2013, the host, the Photonic Industry and Technology Development Association (PIDA), has invited solar firms such as SunEdison, Gintech, GCL-Poly, MEMC, and Motech to discuss opportunities in emerging solar markets and high conversion efficiency technologies.
The solar market has been in turbulence as Europe and the US have begun to levy anti-dumping punitive tariffs against China-based solar firms. The growth of emerging solar markets has yet to make up for the falling demand in Europe.
However, the Asia market has been the focus for solar firms as growth is expected to be strong.
According to market research institute IHS, 2012 global solar installations increased 14% on year, reaching 31.3GW. Solar installations in Asia grew by 65% on year, reaching 9.2GW in 2012. Total solar installations in Asia are predicted to reach 25.7GW in 2017, accounting for more than 40% of global installations of 60.5GW, according to IHS. Solar market growth in Asia is likely to lead in the next five years.
In a speech given at the Solar Taiwan 2013 forum, Wen-Whe Pan, president and COO of Gintech, stated that global demand for clean energy is strong, and solar is the only renewable energy source that can be used by mobile devices. Hence, demand for solar PV systems is expected to grow, said Pan.
