We offer holistic solar solutions under our growing portfolio aligned with our business philosophy of innovation and customer-centricity. “At Panasonic, we endeavour to keep up with the market trends while being mindful of providing practical solutions to our clients and distributor channels.” Spokespersons – Dinesh Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, Panasonic Life Solutions India, Amit Barve, Head-Solar Business Unit, Panasonic Life Solutions India.
Dinesh Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director of Panasonic Life Solutions India, and Amit Barve, Head of the Solar Business Unit of Panasonic Life Solutions India, spoke about Panasonic’s recent developments and renewed focus. “Currently, most of the products we cater to are made in India. In terms of production, our product development procedures and quality evaluation systems in India are doing magnificently. The response to Made in India products from all channels and customers is growing by leaps and bounds.”
In India we have been focusing on two categories of business viz: Under Products we distribute
Solar Modules of different variants like Mono PERC using Half cut cells, Poly for DCR category
Solar Inverters from 3 KW to 25 KW catering to the residential segment
In one stand alone as well as hybrid solar streetlights
Under services
We provide turnkey EPC solar solutions for roof as well as ground-based systems
Operations and Maintenance for our constructed projects as well as projects built by others
Products and solutions displayed at REI 2022
REI being the perfect platform to interact with industry peers we displayed our latest advances in solar modules, solar inverters & solar street lights this year.
In terms of solar modules, we showcased our 495 Wp offering in the expo, which is specifically developed for commercial and industrial applications. In general, the size of solar cells, as well as the size and weight of modules, are increasing daily, making it incredibly difficult to manage these modules, particularly for installation on rooftop systems where they must be carried safely and with ease. Based on those practical issues, we created the 495 Wp power class, which means that by reducing the number of cells while retaining the norm of 182 mm cell, it becomes a more manageable product to handle in the field.
Since we have been expanding our global footprints with Panasonic international sales offices we also exemplified case studies from our export markets where we had supplied high-quality solar modules.
One of our Our focused area is on our range of solar streetlights. We have recently completed several solar lighting installations, particularly in the east. And because it is a modern all-in-one product, it is an offer that caters to street lighting across cities and even state highways. The safe, easy to install format makes it functionally excellent.
We also showcased banners and videos illustrating success stories of our EPC execution Pan India and across segments like IT, automobiles, manufacturing, home fittings etc. Demand for heavy rooftop solar installations
Given the rise of C&I companies’ interest towards solar adoption, our primary focus has been on rooftop projects catering to the commercial and industrial sectors. Rooftops usually have constraints with regards to space requirements, therefore, posing a challenge in execution. Increasing efficiency of solar modules helping to punch in more power in limited area provides more value to customers. However, handling solar modules on the rooftop needs lot of meticulous attention especially for size and weight as that’s the major challenge while working on heights. The 495Wp module that we recently launched is ideal size mentioned challenges in given scenario.
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Geographical challenges to obtain functional efficiency
We do not estimate any major obstacles pertaining to geographical challenges. Today, we may set up a facility in a country like Africa and maintain and supervise its operations and operations from India here. That is the power of today’s technology. We only need to concentrate on the engineering design, deliver our modules and the balance system, and hire a qualified local contractor. Following that, we can remotely monitor the plant’s health. You can also tell the local partner what needs to be done. Therefore, the ecology is shifting, and local manufacturing is taking shape. As a result, it is a mix of globalisation and localisation aspects. Benefits of the PLI scheme
The government’s PLI scheme is a positive move. Global demand for solar is growing rapidly, but issues in the demand and availability of raw materials for solar sector remain a worry. Even during the pandemic, obtaining raw supplies was a major difficulty for us. Imports were heavily relied around supply of raw materials for solar modules and cells. Hence, the government’s aim to stimulate domestic manufacturing through the PLI scheme is a welcome step, as it will allow the procurement of raw materials manufactured domestically. This would not only reduce the risks associated with issues of global supply chain disruptions, but it will also help moderate each country’s growth prospects.
Impacts of BCD on solar business
Last year MNRE (Ministry of New & Renewable energy) announced ‘Basic Custom duties’ on imported solar cells (25%) and modules (40%) & implemented on April 1, 2022. The move was meant to encourage domestic manufacturing in India and curtail dependence on imported solar components.
The BCD was a strategic step from the government aiming to provide opportunities for Indian manufacturers to produce more components locally. Thereby developing local capabilities and derive scale for optimising cost structures. This is very important step especially with our government’s goal of installing 500 GW of renewable by 2030. This growth in volumes as well as expertise would help local manufacturers also to become more competitive for exports. At Panasonic we have already taken this initiative for quite some time now and been exporting modules to various Panasonic businesses worldwide for some time now. As India’s backward integration progresses in solar value chain, we believe it will become a hub for solar module exports worldwide.
However, in short term till the time India does not have sufficient manufacturing capacities, price competitiveness will be a pertinent question on account of importing these components with applicable duties. Latest and forthcoming product additions in the solar portfolio
At Panasonic, we endeavour to keep up with the market trends while being mindful of providing practical solutions to our clients & distributor channels. Currently we provide a gamut of products and services as it is aligned with our business philosophy of innovation & customer-centricity.
Under solar modules segment, the sector is going through rapid disruptions especially in solar cells structure and technology. The pace at which efficiencies are improving is phenomenal and has never been seen in past decades. Our Mono PERC variants [e.g. 550 and 495 We are a testimony of our adaptability and soon we will be launching the DCR variant for Mono PERC for the local subsidy market.
Also, we had launched our solar inverter business a year ago for the B2C market and it has got good response. We are currently focusing on smaller inverter sizes targeted for residential as SOHO segment.
Given our offerings under modules & design & engineering expertise our channels are undertaking separate rooftop solar projects ranging from 100kW to 200kW and even 500kW. This inspires us to expand our offerings overall.
Coming year, we will also introduce a residential rooftop kit for home installation in urban and small-town rural locations. Rooftop solar products will continue to be in demand as India’s electricity situation worsens & factors such as rising per capita power usage, industrialisation, and electric vehicles growth.
We will also continue to improve the efficiency of our existing and new solar modules in the existing product category. We would soon also be launching a 405/410 Wp module, which would be further smaller in dimensions, lighter in weight, and easier to handle by end of 2022. Under solar streetlights we have launched all-in-one plus hybrid offer which is essentially a hybrid between solar and grid connectionAlso a standalone street light product like a separate module, a separate battery, and an inverter has been considered.
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