Asia-Pacific Rooftop Solar Power Market, Forecast to 2020

The rooftop solar market in Asia-Pacific is at the growth stage, but is likely to witness changes in feed-in tariff (FiT) until 2020. Solar module prices are expected to continue to decline due to price competition led by Chinese manufacturers and the slowing down of global demand. However, prices are expected to decline at a slower pace till 2020, as the number of manufacturers approaching breakeven point is increasing.

Due to the uncertain environment for large-scale solar power projects, Japan is leaning toward the residential rooftop solar power market. The rooftop solar power market in Southeast Asia is expected to gain momentum due to increasing public awareness and government support. In particular, Singapore is one of the high-growth rooftop solar power markets in Southeast Asia, with its “solar leasing” model, which provides a great platform for the private sector to participate. All in all, the FiT policy and supportive government legislation are key drivers for the rooftop solar power market in most countries in Asia-Pacific.

Australia is expected to continue to hold the leading position in the region of Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), despite rapid growth in New Zealand’s rooftop solar power market. Regarding competition, mergers and acquisitions are expected to continue in the market. As the overall solar market remains optimistically buoyant, leading market participants will probably seek potential consolidation to enhance competency and future business opportunities.

In Southeast Asia, the residential customer segment is the leading end user of rooftop solar PV in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In the Philippines and Indonesia, installations are mainly for electrification in remote areas. Off-grid solar power systems are mainly used for rural electrification. Remote places with little or no access to electricity have to rely on cost-effective off-grid renewable energy systems, which are independent from utility companies. Other regions such as East Asia and ANZ possess slightly different market characteristics in terms of customers and grid connections.

While Southeast Asia is forecast grow fastest, East Asia and ANZ are mature markets that require different strategies to succeed. In this study, market trends are analyzed for a study period of 2016 to 2020. Key market information includes installed capacity forecast, cost trends, and policy development trends.

Source: Frost