According to NPD Solarbuzz, Sharp Corporation shipped the highest volume of PV modules in the world in the first quarter of 2014, something it has been unable to achieve in the last five years.

A key reason for the resurgence of Sharp has been the booming Japanese market for both utility-scale and residential markets, which Sharp is the number one market leader.

However, meeting that end-market demand has been through its significant shift to outsource over 50% of its wafer, cell and module production primarily to Chinese and Taiwanese producers.

“The first quarter this year was the first time a non-Chinese module supplier has taken the leading position in the solar PV industry, since the fourth quarter of 2009,” according to Ray Lian, senior analyst at NPD Solarbuzz added. “Sharp Solar benefited from seasonally strong end-market demand in Japan, and the ability to quickly increase shipment volumes through a flexible strategy of using outsourced supply from China and Taiwan.”

Sharp recently reported that its solar PV segment returned to profitability in 2013, sales in its cell segment increased 68.9% to US$4.3 billion.

“Sharp’s success during in the first quarter of this year confirms the value of brand-recognition within the PV industry,” Lian said. “It also shows the viability of the so-called ‘fab-lite’ model, in which either internal manufacturing capacity or outsourced supply can be managed effectively to address short-term opportunities. The fab-lite model is now used by several of the leading vertically-integrated companies in the PV industry.”