Close Menu
Energy NewsEnergy News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Hydrogen
    • Energy Storage
    • Grid
    • SMR
    • Projects
    • Production
    • Transport
    • Research
  • SPOTLIGHT
    • Interviews
    • Face 2 Face
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Reviews
    • Events
  • REGIONAL
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle east
    • Pacific
  • COMMUNITY
  • ABOUT
    • Advisory Board
    • Contact us
    • Report Your News
    • Advertize
    • Subscribe
LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube Facebook
Trending
  • Air Liquide Commits €500M to Rotterdam’s ELYgator Hydrogen Project
  • Chile Launches $2.8B Hydrogen Tax Credit to Unlock Stalled Projects
  • Green Hydrogen Faces Global Reality Check as EU Targets Slip Out of Reach
  • Google Backs CO₂ Battery Storage in Global Push for 24-Hour Clean Power Reliability
  • HyCARB Secures €45.7M for Green Hydrogen R&D
  • UK Green Hydrogen Projects Clear Funding Hurdle After Year-Long Delay, But Questions Linger Over
  • ArcelorMittal Halts Dunkirk Hydrogen DRI Project Amid Policy Delays and Economic Headwinds
  • GEGHA Project Redefines Hydrogen Deployment in Australia’s Agricultural Heartland
LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube Facebook
Energy NewsEnergy News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Hydrogen
    • Energy Storage
    • Grid
    • SMR
    • Projects
    • Production
    • Transport
    • Research
  • SPOTLIGHT
    • Interviews
    • Face 2 Face
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Reviews
    • Events
  • REGIONAL
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle east
    • Pacific
  • COMMUNITY
  • ABOUT
    • Advisory Board
    • Contact us
    • Report Your News
    • Advertize
    • Subscribe
Energy NewsEnergy News
Home Home - Energy Storage
Panasonic Exits Residential Solar and Storage Markets as Cost Pressures and Strategic Refocusing Intensify

Panasonic Exits Residential Solar and Storage Markets as Cost Pressures and Strategic Refocusing Intensify

Anela DoksoBy Anela Dokso05/05/20254 Mins Read
Share
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email WhatsApp Telegram

Panasonic’s decision to exit the residential solar and storage sectors brings an official close to a legacy that once helped shape modern photovoltaic technology.

In a letter dated April 28, 2025, the company informed installation partners that it would discontinue all residential solar and battery products, citing a strategic shift toward other clean energy technologies. The move effectively ends Panasonic’s long-standing presence in distributed solar—an industry it entered through its acquisition of Sanyo in 2009.

Despite assurances that warranties will be honored and installation support maintained, the market implications are clear: one of the last remaining Japanese players in residential PV is retreating amid continued consolidation and price compression in the global solar supply chain.

Panasonic’s solar journey began in earnest with its integration of Sanyo, a pioneer in heterojunction (HJT) technology. The company’s HIT (heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer) modules were the first commercially available HJT solar panels when launched in 1997. They were widely regarded for their high-temperature performance and robust efficiency in real-world conditions. At their peak, Panasonic’s all-black HIT modules reached conversion efficiencies exceeding 22%, well ahead of mainstream crystalline silicon technologies of the time.

Yet despite technological strengths, Panasonic increasingly outsourced module production to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in recent years. The transition away from in-house manufacturing accelerated after the company exited solar panel production in 2021, retaining only its brand and intellectual property for a final product release.

By then, HIT’s edge had been eroded. Mono PERC and more recently TOPCon cells surpassed HIT in cost-to-performance ratios, while Chinese manufacturers scaled production and drove module prices down across global markets. Even with HJT regaining attention for its tandem-cell potential, the commercial space had moved on, and Panasonic’s leverage—absent large-scale vertical integration—was limited.

The company’s exit underscores the intense cost pressure reshaping the residential solar value chain. Residential system pricing in the U.S., for example, remains stubbornly high—averaging $2.95 per watt (DC) installed, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Tracking the Sun report—despite dramatic declines in module prices globally. With fierce competition from Chinese OEMs, even brands with premium positioning face an uphill climb if they lack downstream scale or proprietary ecosystem advantages.

Panasonic’s Evervolt battery systems also failed to capture significant market share amid fierce competition from Tesla Powerwall, LG Chem, Enphase, and newer players. Coupled with rising customer acquisition costs and fragmented regional markets, Panasonic’s strategic calculus appears focused on higher-growth, higher-scale segments.

Indeed, the company is doubling down on electric vehicle (EV) battery production. A $4 billion lithium-ion battery plant in Kansas is scheduled to open in early 2025 and will support Panasonic’s role as a key supplier for major automakers, including Tesla. In parallel, Panasonic has remained active in clean heating with heat pump technologies—an area aligned with regional decarbonization mandates in Japan, Europe, and parts of North America.

Panasonic’s withdrawal from residential solar parallels exits from other legacy conglomerates in recent years, such as Sharp and Kyocera. The message is clear: without manufacturing scale, vertical integration, or a dominant downstream footprint, premium brand equity alone is no longer sufficient to survive in residential solar.

Even as HJT sees renewed interest among high-efficiency module manufacturers—particularly as a base layer for perovskite tandem cells—Panasonic’s departure signals that innovation pedigree does not guarantee long-term relevance. For industry observers, it is a reminder of the volatility in solar’s competitive landscape, where market survival increasingly hinges on scale, speed, and system-level value—not legacy.


Stay updated on the latest in energy! Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X for real-time news and insights. Don’t miss out on exclusive interviews and webinars—subscribe to our YouTube channel today! Join our community and be part of the conversation shaping the future of energy.

energy storage
Share. LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Related Posts

Air Liquide Commits €500M to Rotterdam’s ELYgator Hydrogen Project

Air Liquide Commits €500M to Rotterdam’s ELYgator Hydrogen Project

25/07/2025
Hydrogen

Chile Launches $2.8B Hydrogen Tax Credit to Unlock Stalled Projects

25/07/2025
Green Hydrogen Faces Global Reality Check as EU Targets Slip Out of Reach

Green Hydrogen Faces Global Reality Check as EU Targets Slip Out of Reach

25/07/2025
Google

Google Backs CO₂ Battery Storage in Global Push for 24-Hour Clean Power Reliability

25/07/2025
Hydrogen

HyCARB Secures €45.7M for Green Hydrogen R&D

25/07/2025
UK Green Hydrogen Projects Clear Funding Hurdle After Year-Long Delay, But Questions Linger Over

UK Green Hydrogen Projects Clear Funding Hurdle After Year-Long Delay, But Questions Linger Over

24/07/2025
Air Liquide Commits €500M to Rotterdam’s ELYgator Hydrogen Project

Air Liquide Commits €500M to Rotterdam’s ELYgator Hydrogen Project

25/07/2025
Hydrogen

Chile Launches $2.8B Hydrogen Tax Credit to Unlock Stalled Projects

25/07/2025
Green Hydrogen Faces Global Reality Check as EU Targets Slip Out of Reach

Green Hydrogen Faces Global Reality Check as EU Targets Slip Out of Reach

25/07/2025
Google

Google Backs CO₂ Battery Storage in Global Push for 24-Hour Clean Power Reliability

25/07/2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from the hydrogen market subscribe to our newsletter.

LinkedIn X (Twitter) Facebook YouTube

News

  • Inteviews
  • Webinars
  • Hydrogen
  • Spotlight
  • Regional

Company

  • Advertising
  • Media Kits
  • Contact Info
  • GDPR Policy

Subscriptions

  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Sponsored News

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from EnergyNewsBiz about hydrogen.

© 2025 EnergyNews.biz
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Accessibility

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.