Solar trade war brings opportunities for thin-film solar industry

The ongoing solar energy trade war between China and the United States and the European Union has brought opportunities for the thin-film solar industry to develop and be applied in a larger scale, Li Hejun, chairman of Hanergy Holding Group Ltd, a private Chinese power generator, said on Nov 29.

The company said that it has become the world's largest maker of thin-film solar modules, with an annual capacity of up to 3 gigawatts, which can provide enough electricity for a city of 10 million during a year.

Thin-film solar cells, which have only a market share of 20 percent globally, are a less efficient photovoltaic technology than the widely used silicon panels.

Silicon panels are the products that sparked the US and EU's anti-dumping probes.

Hanergy has invested around 27 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) in its thin-film R&D and production bases so far, the company said.

"Thin-film solar photovoltaic technology is the global development trend in the solar PV industry, and stands at the core of Hanergy's strategy," said Li.

He also predicted that up to half of traditional fuel energy will be replaced by clean energy by 2035.