According to DRAMeXchange, a research division of TrendForce, the penetration rate of SD 3.0 memory cards may only be around 10% in 2013. The main reason for this is that the SD 3.0 format has yet to be widely adopted in system products (for instance, smartphones, tablets, and cameras), and that the majority of the demand comes only from the channel market, which has fewer shipments proportionally compared to system OEM market. In the event that the above situations gradually improve, the penetration rate of SD 3.0 memory cards has a legitimate shot of approaching 20% in 2014.
According to EnergyTrend, a research division of TrendForce, demand for PV self-consumption continues to increase in Europe due to the decreased FiT and the increased electricity price and surcharge fees for grid-connection. Besides, the installation area for roof-top systems is somewhat limited, thus relevant users mostly pay more attention on the amount of electricity generated. This, along with concerns toward visual and aesthetic quality, has caused demand for mono-si cells to increase significantly.
According to DRAMeXchange, a research division of TrendForce, the highest price for the mainstream 4GB modules has reached $US 34 due to the supply shortages resulting from SK Hynix’s fire accident and the continuous contract price uptrend. The price represents an estimated 6.25% increase compared to the amount observed in September. Calculating on the basis of the aforementioned figure, the 4Gb chip price translates to approximately $US 3.94, which is close to the $US 4 mark, and only 8% lower than the highest 4Gb chip price in the spot market ($US 4.25). By the time the contract prices are announced in 2H’October, it is expected that the difference between the contract price and spot price will grow smaller.
