SOFAR is a very successful company in PV and storage solutions. What are the reasons for your success?

Allen Cao: I think there are several main factors for it. The first one is, SOFAR is a customer-orientated company. We put a lot of investment on the R&D side. We have a close relationship with our customer and know their real demand. We can design the product and solution to meet the customer’s requirements. The second thing is the innovation. We always invent a lot of new technologies according to the customer demand.

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Does this mean that your products are driven by leading technology?

Yea, indeed. On the product side we have the full portfolio regarding the inverters and storage in all the segments, including the residential, C&I and utility size. And the most important thing is SOFAR provide good service. We have built up our local service team to provide timely and effective service response to our customers.

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What major trends do you see in the photovoltaic market?

PV and also storage installations are getting more and more. Solar energy becomes the dominant power source in some countries in Europe. And meanwhile, we also see that some countries have applied a dynamic tariff. So with this background, we think it is very important to make the system more intelligent and more open.

How do you prioritize your resources?

Regarding those trends which we’re talking about, SOFAR has put a lot of research and innovation. For example, we launched our SOFAR cloud. It is not only the monitoring system, which can apply all of our solutions and products. It is also including some intelligent hardware, which allows our customer to use the system in a smarter way.

More innovation on video – watch PV Guided Tours!

Be so kind and explain this furthermore, please.

For example, you can use the system to decide how to do the arbitrage. You can also decide when to charge and discharge the batteries. Your system can allow to participate the VPP solutions, and also if our customer uses for the self-consumption scenario, the buildings, EMS systems can allow our customer to achieve it.

What role does energy storage play at your company?

It is a very important part. In the past years, we have shipped more than 2.8 gigawatt hours tall over the world,. This is equal to more than 300,000 PCS battery modules. Now it’s playing a more and more important role for us. We have been successful in residential storage solutions, and now we are developing C&I storage. For backup we have the Power Magic solutions, which offer 125 kilowatts with 255 kilowatt-hours. Whole solutions with built-in EMS, PCS and BMS. Meanwhile, we also have the utility scale storage, which is starting from 3.44 megawatt-hour solutions. Now we can see for the storage solutions, we also covered residential C&I and utility segments.

So you meet the full range of power storage. What are your goals for the next, say, 12 months in Germany, in Europe?

We believe now to make the solution close to the customer’s demand. We have to understand the market. That’s why we keep investing in local team. For example, specifically in the dark region, we already have our local marketing team, our local operation team, and we have our local technical support team. Next year we’ll keep enhance our team, specifically on the technical support and service team. Then we can make sure our customers have peace of mind, not only to buy the products, but also during the lifetime of the solution. Service and innovation, these are your main focuses.

Interview by Manfred Gorgus

For more insights in SOFAR’s products and solutions, look here.





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More and more homeowners want to use their own solar energy, even for electric mobility or for heating. What is the task of the energy management system?

Kathrin Rust: The energy management system is one of the most important component in the household. We often say that it’s a little bit like a conductor of an orchestra. If the musicians just play what they want, it will never work. It is the conductor who says who has to play and what. It is similar in energy management. The control device decides which consumer gets the energy because sun is shining. Or because the tariff for grid supply is very cheap at the moment. The energy management system does that. It just makes a conductor and an orchestra the whole things in the household.

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What needs to be included in an energy management system?

It doesn’t have to be an independent system. It has to be free. It has to involve a lot of devices from many manufacturers. It has to be flexible for future needs because most of private households start with PV, then go to electromobility, then perhaps they get a heat pump, something like that. It’s over years. Step by step, they buy something. If you have a closed system, you always have to look, whether it still fits the system? We have to have an open system, an open energy management system with a lot of devices. I talk about more than 100 devices you need that you really can fill up the whole market and make your customer happy.

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Which options has the craftsman when he has an energy management system in his portfolio?

If you want to have a good fit by the customers, you have to have one system, may be, two. The second point in our system is, that you can offer your marketing and logo inside. If If you have a new system, you go to your neighbor and say, hey, look, I have a new system. Look, I can optimize everything and everything is working. Then that’s at the good point if you have that because you have one more touch point to your customer and one more touch point to your next customer.

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What is the focus of Solar Manager developing their own energy management system?

It’s really important that it’s an open system, that you have a lot of devices in it. Solar Manager have more than 400 devices in it. But we don’t want to have only devices put in our system. We want to make it really intelligent. One example, we have more than 40 heat pumps included, not only by SG-ready, we have put it really bidirectional. We really talk with the heat pump. We can make it heat up or slow it down. That’s something the customer can gain more than €300 per year, get a less off that.

It sounds like a huge certification effort that you have to manage?

Yes, we have really good people working in our company. They really do a good job. We have a good platform, and it’s really easy for us to do that.

More innovation on video – watch PV Guided Tours!

How can the craftsmen work together with you? What is your distribution strategy?

You can’t buy it by yourself. You just have to go to your favorite partner where you buy other components and parts for your solar business. You can buy our hardware there. Then you can get the installer account at our system where you get the free monitoring. You can see all your parts, all your customers, you can see everything has worked. The customer has only paid for the hardware, so you can give it through to him. Then the customer has also pay a little fee per year to us.

As I understand, there are no costs für the installers?

The installer have nothing to do with payment, something like that. Just do normally your job, but get support for that, get a good thing for that, for the monitoring, for the customer relationship. If the installer needs some help, we offer professional support. If you have the first installation you can call and we make it together with you. Also we have a strong knowledge base where you can everything see, how it works, how it can be installed.

Interview by Sven Ullrich

Find out more about Solar Manager.





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The 100kW photovoltaic system in Kimolos is installed near the new desalination unit of the Municipality of Kimolos with a capacity of 220 m3/day, (average consumption of water per person is 0.1440 m3/day) and connects to the low voltage network of the grid, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the station. The project consists of 238 units of 420W PV modules.

As the environmental conditions in Kimolos can be quite harsh, including gusting winds, high temperatures and high levels of humidity and salty environment, Zillion opted for the Sungrow’s SG50CX-P2 string inverters. These inverters are compatible with high power modules (+500Wp) and have smart O&M functions, while they have a robust design certified with IP66 protection and C5 anti-corrosion level.

For the communication of the system, the COM100E smart communication box by Sungrow was chosen, providing flexible, reliable and easy operation, along with a high level of protection due to the IP66 design. The products have been delivered via Krannich Solar Greece, Sungrow’s official distributor.

Sungrow

Sungrow’s SG50CX-P2 string inverters and COM100E communication box were installed.

Kimolos lies on the southwest of the island group of Cyclades with a distance of approximately 85 nautical miles to the southeast of Piraeus, the biggest port of Greece. With an area of 34.4 square kilometers, according to the latest census (2021) just over 810 inhabitants live there, a number that increases to many thousands during the summer period, as this beautiful destination attracts tourist from all over the world.

The increased number of people, in combination with the climate change, propose a significant challenge for the water supply of the island, especially during the summer months. One solution is the desalination of sea water, a well-known, but also energy intensive practice that is deployed to address water scarcity globally. Almost one-fifth of the world’s population lives in areas of water scarcity.

Also see: Innovative solar-powered water desalination system

It is predicted that many regions in the EU – especially, southern European Member States – will face severe water scarcity by 2050, when water demand is expected to increase by up to 30%. Desalination can significantly alleviate this problem, while the use of clean energy for this process can provide a sustainable solution.

Aerial view of the desalination PV-system.

Sungrow

Aerial view of the desalination PV-system.

“Implementing this project was a true challenge for us, primarily due to its geographical location and the difficulties in connecting with mainland during the winter when the construction took place. Additionally, the specific positioning required for the panels demanded careful planning,” said Mr. Vasileios Ziogos, Founder and Head Engineer of Zillion. “Nevertheless, the uniqueness of the project and its purpose inspired us to proceed with dedication and determination. By selecting equipment of exceptional quality and reliability, we are confident in its excellent and seamless operation.”

Also see: Strategic partnership of Menlo Electric and Sungrow

“As Sungrow continues to expand its footprint in Greece, we are proud to support projects like the Kimolos PV installation, which directly contribute to the sustainability and resilience of local communities,” said Mr. Dimitrios Galanos, Sungrow Country Manager Greece and Cyprus. “Providing reliable, efficient, and innovative solutions for this project, we’re not only helping to meet the energy demands of the water desalination facility but also paving the way for a greener future.” (hcn)





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That the installers grow with the wishes of their customers. This is what we already know. But now you offer inverters, which can do the same. What is this all about?

Frank Henn: There are two topics I would like to point out. First topic is we increased the maximum power in the same housing. For the previous version, we ended up with 10 kW. Now we are at 20 kW in the same size.

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That’s the first point. And the second one?

The second point is each device can get an upgrade in output power. When you buy the product, you have two steps to increase the power. Let’s say you have the medium version, you get it with 8.5 kW. You can upgrade it to 10 or 12.5 kW, so you have a lot of flexibility.

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So the upgrade is already included?

Of course, it is included, yes.

What I learned, too, is that’s not only a string inverter. It might be a hybrid inverter or battery inverter, too. Is it a universal genius?

Yes, indeed. Our philosophy is that we make our installers as productive as possible. When they receive the product, it is always configured as a solar inverter, and they have the choice before installation to convert it into a hybrid inverter or into a pure battery inverter. To do that, they have to get into our web shop and buy some activation codes.

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You don’t have to screw somewhere to get the upgrade. You just have to get a code to activate it?

Absolutely. That is a completely digital process. You get connected with your mobile phone with the inverter, and select what you like to have, push the button, and then it gets transferred the new settings into the inverter.

At least one device fits all?

Yes. And it is made in Germany, the factory is located in Germany.

More innovation on video – watch PV Guided Tours!

You took a lot of money into your hand at Kostal Solar Electric. What’s the strategy behind it?

We think that we can be very competitive in Germany, also with production in Germany. Kostal Solar Electric is embedded in the Kostal Automotive Group, where we have a lot of high professional automatism processes and so on. The big advantage is we have our R&D team and production side by side, which gives a very good connection and brings us to better solutions.

What do your customers say about it?

One very important topic is our customers like to have a product produced in Germany, where all the controls, all the smart functions of the system and all the connection to the environment via Internet is handled in Germany. We think that is a wise decision for our position in the market.

Are the new Plenticore G3 already available?

Yes, the product is available. We filled the stock of our distributors with the biggest site already in May This is actually running the stock filling of our distributors for the mid-side version. And the S version will be stocked into our wholesalers in next month. So the product is available and ready to order and ready to get installed.

Interview by Heiko Schwarzburger

To get more information about the Plenticore G3, please refer to the website.





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Under the global imperative of low-carbon emissions, the renewable energy industry continues to grow, propelled by a confluence of factors including policy directives, economic advancements, and technological advancements.

While the market conditions fluctuated, Sungrow maintained its strategic alignment for growth.

PV power generation sector with fastest revenue growth rate

Sungrow experienced a twofold increase in both revenue and net profit during the first half of the year. In this six-month period, the company’s operating income reached US$4.4 billion, marking an 8.38% rise from the previous year’s figures. Additionally, net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies surged 13.89% year-over-year, totaling US$0.7 billion.

Regarding product performance, PV inverters and other power electronic converters generated revenues of US$1.8 billion in the period, marking a 12.63% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, renewable energy investment and development businesses brought in revenues of US$1.3 billion, an 18.45% year-over-year growth. Notably, the photovoltaic power generation sector experienced the fastest revenue growth rate, with a 44.88% increase compared to the same period last year.

Also interesting: Solar and storage boom with challenges

Simultaneously, the company’s PV inverters and other power electronic converters achieved a gross profit margin of 37.62%, energy storage systems reached 40.08%, and the renewable energy investment and development sector reported a margin of 16.88%. Each of these sectors experienced a year-over-year increase.

Technical prowess constitutes the bedrock of corporate advancement. Throughout the half year, Sungrow allocated a total of US$0.2 billion towards research and development expenditures, marking a 41.65% increase compared to the previous year.

Goal of carbon neutrality at the operational level by 2028

Sungrow has been ranked as the global No.1 position in PV inverter shipments for 2023 according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. Leveraging its world-class power electronics, electrochemistry, and grid support integrated technology, Sungrow has crafted professional energy storage systems that have seen global shipments reach 10.5 GWh in 2023.

Also see: First PowerTitan 2.0 units delivered in Europe

In the realm of wind energy, Sungrow’s wind converters have secured the distinction of being the world’s top shipped volume (source: Brinckmann), while its floating PV system has consistently held the top spot in global market share for seven consecutive years (source: S&P Global Commodity Insights).

Sungrow would have affirmed its dedication to achieving carbon neutrality and net-zero goals in its ESG development, the company announced. The manufacturer aspires to achieve carbon neutrality at the operational level by 2028, extend this to its entire supply chain by 2038, and aim for net-zero emissions across the supply chain by 2048. During the reporting period, at the operational level, Sungrow utilized a total of 75,980 MWh of green electricity, sourced from both direct purchases and rooftop photovoltaic systems. This resulted in a direct reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 43,331 metric tons of CO2.

Furthermore the company aims to contribute actively to society, placing a strong emphasis on ecological conservation, supporting technological innovation, education, talent development, community and rural revitalization, emergency relief, and various other sectors. It undertakes a series of philanthropic and volunteer service initiatives globally.The cumulative expenditure on public welfare activities in the first half of the year surpassed US$0.9 million. (hcn)





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