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PT_BR 
The increase in global demand and the low supply in the photovoltaic module industry are expected to impact the prices of these products, projecting an increase of 10 to 15% in the coming weeks.
Growth in demand has been driven by the Chinese and European markets, considered the main buyers of the photovoltaic sector. After the downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Europe is gradually recovering activities. Photovoltaic projects are being resumed and module purchase orders have been placed again.
The Chinese market was heated due to the increase in demand for solar solutions after the government announced the elimination of FITs (Feed-In-Tariff), one of the main stimuli for photovoltaic energy, starting in 2021.
The measure provoked an internal race in the country to obtain the benefit this year. The estimate is that there will be an increase of 30 to 40 GW in photovoltaic projects by the end of 2020.
Regarding the drop in supply, the main factors are the explosions at GCL-Poly factory and the fire in two boilers at the Daqo factory, both located in Xinjiang, China.
Together, the two produce 155 thousand MT (metric tons) of polysilicon (raw material for the photovoltaic cell) per year, which corresponds to around 30% of China's total production.
The forecast for the resumption of production is 60 to 90 days. This break in production should affect the delivery of the material and contribute to the increase in the price of the modules.
Other raw material manufacturers, such as Tongue and East Hope Facilities, are operating at 60% capacity after the Chinese government ordered inspections of their older production lines following the accidents at GLC and Daqo.
The scarcity of polysilicon should impact the production of poly and monocrystalline cells, also impacting their price on the market.
Furthermore, this same province of Xinjiang, where the factories that produce the polycrystalline material are located, is being considered the new focus of Covid-19 – with more than 500 cases discovered since mid-July – causing problems in transport between Xinjiang and the main production centers for photovoltaic modules.
