According to the newest Regional Project Report –“Solar Powering Taiwan: Special Report” by EnergyTrend , a division of TrendForce , 2018 will prove to be the most disastrous year for Taiwan's solar PV manufacturers, yet the best year in terms of solar PV system installations downstream, bringing new installations up to 1GW for the first time in history. The government is now actively pushing towards a goal of 1.5GW in new installations by the end of 2019.
According to the latest research by EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce, the market of new energy vehicle will continue to grow steadily, driving the demand for xEV batteries, despite the slowdown in global automotive market since 2018. The global demand for lithium-ion batteries used in new energy passenger cars is estimated to reach 155GWh in 2019, a growth of 63% from 95GWh in 2018.
2018 brought the PV industry many ups and downs, including influences from Section 201 and 301 of the US Trade Act, the “531 New Policy” from China, safeguard tariff in India, and the termination of MIP undertaking in the EU. The industry’s extreme uncertainty had impacted every section of the PV supply chain. However, EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce, points out that the overall market situation will improve in 2019 and demand will reach a new high throughout the year.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has announced a 10.17% decrease to next year’s feed-in tariff (FIT) rates for solar PV installations, which is much higher than the average decrease of 4.25% in the global PV industry. This will make 2019 a tough year for Taiwan’s PV industry, with wider-than-expected impacts on the whole market, says EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce.
According to EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce, eased oil prices and sliding xEV battery costs may drive Taiwan’s fledgling electric scooter market. Taiwan is expected to have 78000 electric scooters in 2018, taking a share of 8% in its overall scooter market. For 2019, the market share of electric scooters will reach 10%, of which 90% will be heavy electric scooters, up from 85% in 2018.