As early as 2012, experts from Zhongli Talesun identified the Japanese market as possessing huge growth potential and began to put plans into place. The backdrop to this course of action was the Japanese Government's launching of feed-in tariffs. Those measures are now paying dividends for the country still dealing with the effects of the Fukushima catastrophe: In the second quarter of the current fiscal year, photovoltaic suppliers provided additional capacity of 2.39 gigawatts - record figures for the country. Over three quarters of this capacity was installed in industrial power stations.
Talesun expects the total increase in capacity by the end of 2014 to reach levels in the region of eight gigawatts. Two thirds of the modules utilized to date have originated from abroad. This relationship between domestic and foreign module production is expected to continue.
Technology and Certification: Twin factors for success
The basis for the company's growth in Japan can be put down to two aspects: The highly advanced modules and their verifiable quality. In particular, the zero PID modules and those with four electrical bus bars have created a great deal of interest among Japanese customers.
The recent award of 'JET' certification has also contributed to the expanding sales in the country.
The proprietary strategy has proved crucial to the positive sales figures, as Wang Baixing, Chairman at Zhongli Talesun explains: "In contrast to competitors in the Japanese market we have refused to be drawn into a price war. Instead, we have recommended to our customers in the country that they factor both quality and long-term service into their calculations. This sustainable approach has been well received, especially by EPCs and in the market for largescale projects. In this way we intend to further expand on our success to date. The export revenues for Talesun modules have, according to preliminary figures for October, exceeded 100 million RMB."