Global provider of benchmark price assessments Platts, a division of S&P Global Commodity Insights, has launched an independent daily spot market price assessment for solar panels in the US, Europe and Asia.
“Modules are increasingly commoditized. Transactions occur on a daily basis and there are multiple stakeholders involved,” Annalisa Jeffries, Global Head, Electricity Power Pricing at S&P Global Commodity Insights, told pv magazine. “The people who would benefit are the suppliers, utilities, and project developers. In our conversations with solar module market participants, they have expressed a demand for more accurate, specific detailed pricing information on solar modules.”
According to Jeffries, daily assessments enable users to track price movements as they happen. “Solar panel prices have been very volatile with prices changing frequently, hence daily updates are key,” she added. “Weekly prices would not allow for changes to be tracked as accurately.”
The tool currently includes assessments on TOPCon solar modules. “But it will adapt to emerging technologies as they become more mainstream,” Jeffries stated. “We do track the price spreads and outright prices of other PV technologies versus TOPcon.”
It will offer daily price assessments reflecting the value of bifacial solar modules procured for both commercial and industrial and utility-scale projects across six categories:
- Platts Solar Module free on board (FOB) China 5-50 MW, reflecting 10-30 days FOB to Shanghai
- Platts Solar Module FOB China 50-100 MW, reflecting 10-30 days forward FOB to Shanghai
- Platts Solar Module delivered duty paid (DDP) Europe 5-50 MW, reflecting 28-70 days forward delivery to Rotterdam
- Platts Solar Module DDP Europe 50-100 MW, reflecting 28-70 days forward delivery to Rotterdam
- Platts Solar Module DDP US 5-50 MW, reflecting 28-60 days forward for delivery to the US East Coast
- Platts Solar Module DDP US 50-100 MW, reflecting 28-60 days forward for delivery to the US East Coast
Platts will publish the six individual solar module prices alongside the Platts Global Solar Module Marker, a daily average of the six individual assessments, to provide a global perspective of solar panel prices.
The price assessments will cover solar modules with 570 to 720 W of output and topcon specification and wafer sizes of 182 to 210 mm. Prices will be expressed as an outright price in $/W.
“We take seriously our commitment to help the marketplace and industry find solutions to pricing challenges and we’re pleased to heed the call and bring transparency to the solar module market, which is becoming more commoditized and is increasingly important to energy transition planning,” said Jeffries.
The price assessments will be available through several of S&P Global’s products and services, including Platts Connect, Platts Market Center and the Platts price database.
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