Wholesalers react to anti-dumping duties

The company is benefiting from the increased demand for European solar modules from distributors who want to avoid paying backdated anti-dumping duties for purchasing modules made in China.In order to survive in the ongoing price war, increasing numbers of wholesalers are incorporating photovoltaic modules with unique selling points into their product portfolios.

“Many distributors are currently changing their strategy. As potential anti-dumping duties are making it unclear who will provide the cheapest solar modules in the future, distributors are including more and more products with unique selling points in their product portfolios to allow them to compete on factors other than price alone,” explains Dr. Thomas Hillig, Vice President Module Sales & Marketing at Innotech Solar.“While last year’s sales talks always focused directly on the price, our modules are now first and foremost purchased thanks to their low carbon footprint, high yields in warm ambient temperatures and their particular suitability for east-west oriented roofs.”

“In a competition based solely on price, only a few of the largest distributors would survive in the long term, as their purchasing power means that they can negotiate the best deals,” continues Hillig. At the same time, the rising number of insolvent solar companies has led to greater levels of risk awareness among distributors, as in many cases they have to assume the warranty for the products they have sold. “The cost benefits brought about by our special production process means that, unlike many other manufacturers, we have a positive cash flow. This economic stability was a further crucial factor which resulted in our new distributors deciding to work with us.”

Innotech Solar has developed a process that economically restores the performance of low-efficiency solar cells to their full capacity by using thermal imaging to detect low-performing cell areas and automatically isolating them with special lasers. The company optimizes solar cells from different manufacturers in the German city of Halle an der Saale and manufactures all of its modules in Glava, Sweden. Apart from its EVA film, which it obtains from the Japanese market leader for this material, the company only uses components from European manufacturers of proprietary products. A multitude of tests by independent experts, such as Photovoltaik-Institut Berlin or PV Lab, demonstrate the high performance, longevity and positive environmental impact of Innotech Solar modules.