Panasonic to expand its solar module HIT production capacity

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Panasonic Corp announced Monday that it will boost production capacity of solar cells and modules for its solar panels HIT at its two domestic plants. The company will invest 9.5 billion yen to expand production lines at the Shimane Factory, which produces solar cells, and at the Shiga Factory, a module production site.

The expansion will add a combined production capacity of 150 megawatts a year, lifting Panasonic’s total solar module production capacity of HIT to more than 1 gigawatt by March 2016, including that of manufacturing facilities in Kedah, Malaysia, and Nishikinohama, Osaka, in addition to the two domestic factories.

Japan’s solar power market has been growing since the introduction of feed-in tariffs. In the residential and non-residential rooftop solar markets, strong demand is expected to continue, helped by government-led efforts to promote the adoption of zero-net energy houses and buildings, along with local governments’ measures to support solar power. In other Asian countries, as well as Europe and the United States, the residential rooftop markets are also expected to remain solid.