Panasonic, the Japanese electronics maker forecasting an annual loss, said its solar- panel operation will probably remain profitable amid growing demand from Japanese homeowners.
Shipments in February reached a record level as Japan’s feed-in-tariff system for electricity triggered demand for rooftop systems, Kazuhiro Yoshida, who heads the business, said in an interview in Tokyo yesterday, declining to elaborate.
Panasonic is targeting Japanese individuals for its HIT- brand solar cells, a strategy that has helped preserve profitability and protect the business from a glut in commercial production, he said. The Osaka-based company is focusing on premium products for residential users as an oversupply in large-scale facilities led to price declines and threatened the survival of Suntech Power Holdings Co., once the biggest solar- panel maker, he said.
“Demand is booming in Japan,” Yoshida said, “It is not our goal to become number one company. Our focus is how to be profitable.”
Click here to read the full story.
