OVERSUPPLY APPEARS TO BE BUSINESS AS USUAL IN THE (INDUSTRY).

and 1.65 gigawatts. At the same time, the company has increased production capacity 7.1 per cent after opening a 500-megawatt factory in Thailand in March. said Tuesday that it expects shipments to slip as much as 54 per cent in the current quarter, after 60 per cent of its panels went to China in the second quarter.

“Chinese solar manufacturers now face tougher competition due to a supply capacity increase and a decrease in market demand,” Yingli Green Energy vice-president and chief climate officer Jingfeng Xiong said during a call Tuesday with analysts.

To be clear, demand for solar is continuing to rise, but that growth is slowing. Global installations this year may reach about 67 gigawatts, up 27 per cent from last year, according to New Energy Finance. In 2017, it’s expected to increase by 25 per cent, and in 2018 it will rise 23 per cent.