Japanese solar-module manufacturers shipped a record-high 1.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2009, galvanized by the election of a new solar-friendly government, and a dramatic up-tick in the domestic rooftop market. Domestic shipments more than doubled to 484 megawatts (MW), even as exports slid a modest 2.4% to 903MW on the back of the weakened European market, according to figures published by the Japanese Photovoltaic Energy Association. The spike in domestic demand has outpaced Japanese firmsÂ’ ability to keep up, leading to a surge in imports from neighboring countries such as Taiwan.
