Hanwha Q CELLS Japan announced that it secured a leading module supply market share with 770 MW of module shipments in Japan in 2017.
According to independent report, Reality and Future Perspective of Solar Battery Related Technology and Market 2018, published by Japanese market research company Fuji Keizai, Hanwha Q CELLS Japan’s module shipments in Japan last year was higher than any other company, including Chinese players as well as leading domestic brands.
In 2016, the company was the second largest module supplier with 700 MW of shipments.
Hanwha Q CELLS Japan first entered the Japanese solar market in 2011. In the following year, the Company delivered a relatively modest 50 MW of modules, before rising to become the leading overseas player in 2013 with shipments of 500 MW.
Non-domestic solar module suppliers have long struggled to gain secure footing in the Japanese PV market. A combination of strong domestic brands and a historical preference for high quality products has meant that Japanese end consumers, distributors and installers have rarely chosen a non-Japanese solar module.
This preference for high performance and high quality is evident in multiple markets in Asia-Pacific, including Australia, which has consistently seen growth in market share that reached nearly 10% in the residential, rooftop segment as of 2017.
That attitude has begun to change over the past couple of years as leading international firms such as Hanwha Q CELLS Japan have entered the market. The product portfolio offered to Japanese customers by Hanwha Q CELLS Japan is defined by the highest technology standards of “Engineered in Germany” with Q CELLS’ proprietary technology “Q.ANTUM”. Moreover, Q CELLS’ quality test is two to three times stricter than the global testing standard, so the Company is able to meet the exacting standards and preferences required in Japan.
Hanwha Q CELLS, together with Hanwha Q CELLS Korea, another affiliate of Hanwha Group, is the world’s largest manufacturer of PERC solar cells, with annual production capacity of over 6 GW.
Dong-in Shin, the Head of Sales for Hanwha Q CELLS Japan, said, “Securing leading market share in a competitive, high quality solar market such as Japan is testament to the extensive effort put in by the Hanwha Q CELLS R&D team to ensure that our module products are continually the best-in-class.”
“As a non-domestic company, thriving in the Japanese solar market is incredibly challenging, which is why Hanwha Q CELLS Japan has taken great care to understand the needs of end customers in Japan, examining closely which solutions, products and services would best fit their needs, and why we have duly delivered,” Shin added.