Plunging panel prices, economic havoc and new technologies have solar manufacturing in turmoil. A panel of experts offered insiders’ insights at the GTM Phoenix solar summit last week on the state of play and when and how it will change.

Moderator Shyam Mehta, the GTM Research Senior Solar Analyst, opened by asking how long the current downturn will last and what will catalyze a reversal.

“The oversupply conditions are likely to last for quite a while, and a number of players will disappear from the market before there is more demand,” REC Solar U.S. Managing Director Jan Jacob Boom-Wichers replied. “What could change is that the cost of energy could go up,” he said, “making PV solar  a better value proposition.”

“Capacity,” said JA Solar Americas President Jonathan Pickering, “is almost twice the actual demand,” adding that it is a “Darwinian world” where “big companies will tend to get stronger.” The current “flight to quality” will accelerate over the next six to twelve months, he predicted. “Strong players will rapidly get stronger. That will accelerate the demise of the weaker companies, which will lead to consolidation.” Recent improving utilization rates, he added, could be a sign of recovery.

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