Having seen its 2010 sales rise 70% to €1.35bn ($1.9bn) on another record-breaking year for German installations and a riptide of fourth-quarter demand in Italy, Q-Cells says it expects sales to be flat in 2011.

While the Saxony-based company plans to substantially boost production of both cells and modules this year, it adds that “the effects resulting from this increase will be reduced by expected declines in selling prices”.

“Overall,