Panasonic is planning to expand its solar cell and module production capacities at two of its facilities in Japan with an investment of JPY9.5bn ($79m).
The company will expand production lines at its Shimane SANYO Electric and Shiga photovoltaic (PV) module facilities.
While adding a combined 150MW, the expansion will increase the company’s global heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer (HIT) modules production capacity to over 1GW by the fiscal year ending 31 March 2017.
The company intends to commission the expanded production lines in March 2016.
The launch of feed-in tariffs has driven the solar power market in Japan, and the demand is expected to continue in the residential and non-residential rooftop solar markets.
Panasonic plans to expand the sales of its Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SMARTHEMS). The system combines the company’s solar generation system with its EcoCute heat-pump hot water supply systems, power storage batteries, energy-saving appliances and other products.