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AUSTRALIAN ROOFTOP SOLAR SEGMENT NEEDS TECHNICAL AND INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT TO ACCELERATE GROWTH BEYOND 12GW LONGi says the future for rooftop solar installations in Australia is very bright as the market accelerates into 2021. Robust supply chains and new technology uniquely adapted for the Australian market will drive growth in system yields and volume of installations.
ABOVE: Stephen Zhang, Managing Director of LONGi Solar Australia BELOW: 100kW Hi-MO modules for a project by Greenultimate Pty Ltd
ROOFTOP SOLAR IN AUSTRALIA is in a rapid deployment phase. In 2020 the rate of installation is increasing exponentially and the energy yield of systems is growing at a similar pace. As of June 2020, Australia had surpassed 2.5 million rooftop solar installations, with a combined capacity of 11.8 gigawatts.
Greater module efficiency needed to meet market demand More than 50 per cent of residential rooftop installations are between 6 and 7kW in size. However 2020 has seen significant growth in the proportion of even larger sized residential rooftops, with SunWiz founder Warwick Johnston noting “we are now seeing 13.2kW systems going into residential applications.” Although incentives are decreasing, solar rooftops are now being optimised for greater self-consumption with the advent of more affordable and suitably sized home battery systems. Similarly, price declines of systems are encouraging more households to maximise their rooftop potential with larger systems. Commercial customers are also looking to increase the power output of their rooftops to hedge against rising energy prices and to provide energy security. One Stop Warehouse, one of the largest national solar distributors in Australia, agrees that module efficiency through greater technology and not through larger form factors is essential for the market. “For rooftop installations there is always a trade-off between power class and weight,” commented Andy Cheng, Marketing Director, “The LONGi Hi-MO 4, 370W module is in the sweet spot at the moment, perfectly maximising a typical 6.6kW install to maximise typical rooftop power output.”
Key benefits of a local presence The solar industry needs a robust and reliable supply chain to meet current and future demand for rooftop
solar. In 2019, LONGi Solar Australia was created to better support and enhance Australian installers’ access to world beating solar technology and longterm product reliability. Since late 2019 the locally based team, headquartered in Sydney, but with warehouses, distribution and technical support available Australiawide, have been supporting Australian installers by providing top quality mono-silicon solar panels that have high yields and long-term performance. Since LONGi opened its subsidiary in Australia, the team has worked hard to ensure that the best technology is available as soon as possible. “We selected LONGi modules to distribute because of their exclusive focus on mono technology and the fact that LONGi were first to market as mono wafer manufacturers 10 years ago,” notes Andy Cheng, “The LONGi Australia team ensured that we were one of the first to receive 370W product in April 2020, four to five months before other brands had a similar product.”
Module size for solar rooftops Technical efficiency is critical but installers in 2020 and beyond need to be more aware of the form factor of the modules that they are specifying. Size, weight, connectivity and mounting options, are becoming increasingly important factors in a solar installation to maximise system yield. LONGi Solar Australia has partnered with leading distributors including Austra Energy, BayWa r.e, Krannich, Sol-Distribution, Solar Juice and One Stop Warehouse, to bring installers and commercial endusers the best solar technology for their installations Australia wide. “We have worked hard to listen to the market and package LONGi’s leading mono wafer technology into products that Australian installers need for their rooftop projects,” notes Stephen Zhang, Managing Director, LONGi Solar Australia. “Our local technical team looks at every aspect of installs and influences module design accordingly to ensure the most appropriate product is available.” Andy Cheng agrees, saying “LONGi has shown a strong consideration of what makes a rooftop installation in Australia successful by creating modules that meet customer demands to maximise their STCs and available roof space.” With dedicated market suppliers like LONGi and One Stop Warehouse, Australia’s solar market will be able to reach its full potential. www.longi-solar.com.au www.onestopwarehouse.com.au
Infor mation, views and technical details on this page supplied by Smart Energy Council Member
38 SUMMER 2020
