Big solar panel manufacturers boost production as costs fall

Cost effective: Workers install solar panels on the roof of a residential home in San Diego, California. A surge of cheap panels would help countries reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and potentially lower power prices. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Several big solar-panel makers are ramping up production in a boon to clean energy. A key reason: the collapse of material costs that had been elevated for more than a year.

Three leading Chinese module manufacturers are bumping up January output forecasts, according to Shanghai Metals Market, which didn’t identify its sources. Promising near-term demand is another factor driving the output boost.