Intersolar 2015: REC showcases excellence with new products, new applications and new budding markets
REC, the largest European manufacturer of solar panels, is exhibiting at Intersolar 2015, the world's largest trade show for the solar industry. Opening its doors on June 10 at the Munich Trade Fair Centre, REC is demonstrating its thought leadership with new products, new applications for its solar panels on water and go-to-market strategy for new promising regions in Africa.
Renowned quality with new products
Visitors to Intersolar 2015 will have ample opportunity to see REC’s renowned product quality close up with new products on display. With demand on quality requirements continuously increasing, the recently introduced REC TwinPeak solar panel, an Intersolar Award finalist, is rated up to 280 watt peak, delivering more power output per square meter. The new series is ideal for the full range of rooftop solar applications in the growing residential, commercial, and industrial markets. Production of the REC TwinPeak began in Q1 2015 on new manufacturing lines at the company’s vertically integrated and fully automated production site in Singapore.
The innovative panel design — which incorporates 120 half-cut multicrystalline cells, four busbars, passivated emitter rear cell (PERC) technology, and a split junction box — provides enhanced reliability and performance, reduced heat build-up and resistive losses, and increased light absorption, fill factor and efficiency. This cutting-edge solution on a polysilicon platform makes the product strongly competitive with monocrystalline solar panels on efficiency and performance.
With solar energy becoming more and more competitive, some customers are increasingly putting emphasis on a system’s aesthetics. At Intersolar, REC will for the first time present the new REC Peak Energy BLK2 Series. The new solar panel features a black frame and a black backsheet, improving the panel’s aesthetics. The solar panels maintain REC’s renowned high performance and reliability. Panels in this series are the perfect choice for residential rooftops, especially in countries such as the UK or in the Benelux region where the panel can nicely blend with black roofs.
REC goes floating
The successful completion of various tests confirms that REC solar panels can be deployed in floating solar installations to the exact same standards of reliability, performance and quality as on rooftops or in ground-mounted installations. With the positive test results, the company’s product and performance warranties are extended to applications on water surfaces. An installation will be simulated at REC’s booth as well as in front of the exhibition venue on an artificial lake. With assured power output and quality of REC panels in floating solar installations, investors and users can rely on long-term performance in these innovative projects with an interesting potential for applications worldwide.
Countries and regions where space is at a premium, such as Japan, the US east coast, England, and Hong Kong, need to be more flexible in terms of solar applications. With projects sized from a few kilowatts to several megawatts, floating solar installations can power thousands of households, and enable otherwise underused artificial freshwater bodies to double up as real estate for floating solar installations. In general, various fresh water reservoirs are suitable – wastewater ponds at water treatment facilities and chemical plants, irrigation storage ponds at farms or vineyards, dam reservoirs and aquacultures, all largely available in all countries.
Entering new promising regions in Africa
With solar technology costs continuously coming down, the solar potential is growing in more and more emerging markets – and countries in Africa are leading the way. Furthermore, to meet the rapidly growing energy demand, compared to other power plants, solar installations can be quickly set up and realized as off-grid solutions. Other key drivers are high irradiation levels, grid stability issues and lacking grid access at all. In addition, retail electricity prices are expected to increase significantly due to planned reduction of subsidies for fossil fuels. Despite some challenges, REC is confident about the region’s attractiveness and is making a first go-to-market step with regional hubs in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa to serve the ECOWAS, East and South African regions.
Luc Graré, Senior Vice President EMEA at REC, describes the outlook: “With more than 600 million people in Africa unable to access electricity, there is great potential for clean solar energy. We expect around 100 gigawatts of solar panels to be installed in the region by 2030. Especially residential markets and turnkey solutions are highly attractive. However, financing of investments is generally critical in the region. Therefore, choosing a supplier that is highly bankable is key. REC is benefiting from its sustainable business model and leading financial position compared to other solar panels manufacturers as well as from our highly reliable products, even in the most harsh climate conditions. And with the new REC Academy, we will provide strong educational services leveraging our vast expertise and Partner Program, giving us a jumpstart to increase our solar footprint in Africa.”
For further information please contact:
Agnieszka Schulze
Public Relations Manager, REC
Leopoldstr. 175, 80804 Munich, Germany
Phone +49 89 54 04 67 225
Email agnieszka.schulze@recgroup.com
About REC:
REC is the largest European brand of solar panels, with more than 15 million high-quality panels produced at the end of 2014. With integrated manufacturing from polysilicon to wafers, cells, panels and turnkey solar solutions, REC strives to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. In partnership with a sales channel of distributors, installers, and EPCs, REC panels are installed globally. Founded in 1996, REC is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway and operational headquarters in Singapore. REC’s 1,800 employees worldwide generated revenues of USD 680 million in 2014.
Find out more at www.recgroup.com