Purchasing Rate for PV Power Will drop 10% in 2013 - SolarStar

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced that the government will aim to increase photovoltaic power  generation by 130 MW in 2013, 30MW higher than the goal for 2012, but the purchasing rate will drop 10% further, continuing the reduction in the previous two years. The MOEA will also assist domestic firms tapping overseas markets, in the hope of boosting the export volume by 10%.

At the Legislative Yuan, Shih Yien-shiang, minister of economics, stated yesterday that the government cannot let up its effort for developing renewable energy, since it is an indigenous energy.

In addition to reduction in the purchasing rate for photovoltaic power, the MOEA will raise the purchasing rate for stream-type hydraulic power and biotech energy next year, while maintaining the purchasing rates for offshore wind power, ground-heat power and waste-material generated power at the existing levels.

Tseng Tseng-tsai, deputy section chief of the Energy Bureau, the MOEA, attributed the reduction of the purchasing rate for photovoltaic power to rapid decline in photovoltaic-power cost, thanks to the rapid development in photovoltaic module  technology.

Similar to this year’s situation, the purchasing rate for photovoltaic power will be higher in the first half than the second half next year. The purchasing rate for rooftop model with capacities ranging 10-100 kilowatts, for instance, will reach NT$7.5432 in the first half before dropping to NT$7.3297 in the second half, an arrangement which the MOEA believes will induce investors to accelerate their investments.

Tseng Tseng-tsai noted that after achieving the expansion goal of 130MW next year, the domestic output value of Taiwan’s photovoltaic power industry will hit NT$13.2 billion, up from this year’s NT$11.6 billion. Meanwhile, the Energy Bureau aims to boost the export volume of photovoltaic power by 10% next year. The bureau will lead domestic firms to explore the Japanese market recently.

After the March 11 earthquake, Japan has been aggressively developing renewable energy. Some domestic firms, such as Motech Industrial and LCY Chemical, have experience establishing power plants in Japan.