Somewhere in the tumult of the global economy in recent months, solar panel prices hit bottom and then began to rise.
The oversupply that helped to push prices down last year has eased a bit. This, plus a host of other factors, mean that prices are now increasing, globally and in the United States.
Looking ahead, the numbers are likely to continue to rise. But just because they are going up doesn’t mean panels are becoming expensive. Prices will still be low, just not as low as they were late last year.
“I would expect price increases throughout the year,” said Elissa Pierce, an analyst for Wood Mackenzie.
Her research firm projects an average global price of 10.1 cents per watt in the second quarter of this year for panels made in China, an increase from 9.5 cents per watt in the first quarter.
U.S. prices are higher…
