Dive Brief:

• The on-the-spot price for solar energy units fell to 63 cents per watt during the second quarter of 2014, according to a new PV Pulse report on global solar pricing. 
• The report cited the general downward trend in the price of solar technology, seasonal changes to demand in places such as China and a general downward trend in higher priced markets like Japan. 
• The price only refers to solar bought for immediate delivery and doesn't fully reflect wider market trends, although the price of producing solar arrays for sale has been falling in recent years. ​

Dive Insight:

The U.S. may be about to buck the downward trend in pricing as imported solar technology from places like China will become subject to new Department of Commerce tariffs this year. In the first half of the year, solar technology made in China and bought for use in the U.S. cost between 69 and 73 cents per watt. However, if the new tariffs take effect, that price point will go up about by about 9 to 10.5 cents to average 74 to 85 cents per watt by the end of the year. 

Manufacturers are looking for new ways to keep costs down, including seeking out alternative materials to replace expensive and rare manufacturing materials such as silver.