EQ in exclusive conversation with Mr. Brijesh Prajapati – MD(India) at Sofar Solar

Sofarsolar is part of the Sofar Group, a highly diversified company who are No.1 in the GPS business. They have been involved in the communications and renewable energy fields since 2007 and entered the PV inverter business in 2012 with the establishment of Sofarsolar, specializing in R&D, production, sales and service of grid-tied inverters. SOFAR is very pioneer group in GPS sector in china & we would like accept new challenges in the market.

So we have started PV market business & doing successfully business globally. In order to support the current growth of the Indian PV market, SOFARSOLAR has recently taken steps to strengthen its business position in the country with a new office and leadership. Looking to expand its footprint in the Indian PV market, SOFARSOLAR, added an office, warehouse, Service staff and expanding team.

New versions of Inverters which are very compact in size make SOFARSOLAR differentiate from others. SOFARSOLAR is positioned to play important and leading role in the Indian solar industry. As a high – tech international corporation, SOFARSOLAR is equipped with leading
technology of grid tied inverters. The R&D team of SOFARSOLAR has strong development capability. Around 100 experienced engineers are
working with more than nine series products. And around 400 employees in factory increased our production capacity to 8GW annually.

From day one our company has put quality as the most important criteria in our design, production and daily operations. Our international R&D team designed the product from bottom up. We hand-picked each component and we have drew every bit of the circuitry. Therefore we understand exactly how the device shall perform in every situation. We sourced all our electronic materials from U.S., Germany and Japan, such as Fairchild, Infineon, Texas instruments, Panasonic, Nichicon, Tamura, Microsemi, Amphenol, Sanyo.

We are certainly not the cheapest inverters you can find in China. But if you consider quality is important, you will not regret to work with us. New versions of Inverters which are very compact in size make SOFARSOLAR differentiate from others. SOFARSOLAR is positioned to play an important and leading role in the Indian solar industry.Having global experience, innovative solutions, and dedication to developing a local presence, SOFARSOLAR is well poised to support the Indian PV market in its rapid growth. SOFARSOLAR recent move to strengthen its position in the Indian PV market with a local team signifies our commitment to the solar sector in India. We are continuous growing
company and we have variety of products like NEW ENERGY AUTOMOBILE (Supercharger) products & HYBRID INVERTER, STORAGE
INVERTER & ON GRID string inverter developments in our basket.

To cater to the Indian Market we have established ‘’Sofarsolar India Pvt. Ltd’’ our Marketing and Service Center in Ahmedabad,Gujarat. We are performing very good in India renewable market . SOFARSOLAR is a fastest growing product with good qualities, lesser service complain
& prompt service solutions. No compromise in quality to make cheap product , no compromise in product component material, wide display is OUR KEY Features.

Sofarsolar have good strong market in ROOFTOP Solar business & also in EPC Sector. We are believing in LOCAL SALES-PROMPT SERVICE SUPPORT with LONGVISION Reliable Product Business Policy. In price completive market SOFAR OFFERING 8 YEARS Warranty with GOOD Quality Products.

EQ: How much Inverters have you supplied to India till now, what is the target/expectation in 2018-2019 ?

BP: Since 2016 ,We have supplied more than 350Mw+ solar inverter systems in india & With Customer great support & trust we are doing
good business in Indian market. Also we have very long vision business road map in current & future sales growth. Current year projection is more than 250Mw+ & with client-Business partner support will cross Target order projection value.

EQ: Please share your Road Maps – Pricing, Technology etc.

BP: To cater to the Indian Market we have established “Sofarsolar India Pvt. Ltd” our Marketing and Service Centre in Ahmedabad,Gujarat. Our range of gird tied inverters include 1KW to 6KW in single and 3KW to 70KW in three phases, Support zero export solution . 3kW power storage inverters and 3-6kW hybrid inverters in Single Phase & 10-20kW hybrid inverters in Three Phase, Li-Ion Batteries.

PRODUCT ROADMAP 2020:-
a. Hybrid Inverter- 3kW/3.6kW/4kW/5kW/6kW (1 Phase).
b. Hybrid Inverter- 8kW/10kW/12kW/15kW/20kW (3
Phase).
c. AC Retrofitting Single phase 6kW.
d. 2nd generation of 50kW/60kW/70kW.
e. New upcoming Rating:- 80kW/100Kw/120Kw.
f. New upcoming Rating:- 220kW/250Kw with 1500v DC.
g. Electrical Vehicle Charger.
h. SOFAR AMASS Li-Ion Batteries.

EQ: Upcoming & Trending Opportunities with Bifacial , PERC, Wind-Solar Hybrid, Floating Solar etc

BP: The Indian solar energy segment is considered to be a market with one of the fastest growth potentials in the world due the country’s ever-increasing demand for energy. India is one of the countries with the largest production of energy from renewable sources & in a now days Wind power is now the world’s fastest growing energy source also. India has abundant availability of solar irradiance and receives solar energy throughout the year & this has created enormous opportunities to solar energy from the sunniest sites in the country, especially from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. India is situated at an ideal geographical location and receives ample tropical sunlight.

There are almost 300 sunny days with clear skies each year in India. Thus, rooftop solar panels are ideal to be used here. Along with the
generation of electricity, solar power can meet several other purposes.

According to a new study, the market for Solar Hybrid Inverter is witnessing a noticeable surge across the world. The research report, titled “Global Solar Hybrid Inverter Market 2019 Industry Research Report,” explores the past and current appearance of this market in a bid
to earn a clear insight into its future potentials. It also takes the driving forces, challenges, prominent trends, opportunities, and various
other factors that influence the growth of this market in consideration to discover the market’s scope in the years to come. SOFARSOLAR is
currently focused on increasing its core technology R & D investment in Grid connected inverters, Energy storage inverters and it’s charging
pile. With this in mind, they aim to improve the competitive advantages of their core product range and provide further valuable service
to their customer base.

SOFARSOLAR HYD inverter can work in auto or Time Of Use (TOU) mode, charge / discharge the battery when needed. In auto mode, the HYD-ES inverter will charge surplus PV energy into the battery & discharge battery to supply power to local load when PV energy is not enough. In case of blackout, HYD ES inverter can work in Emergency Power Supply (EPS) mode. HYD ES inverter will utilize power from PV panels & energy stored in the battery to supply power to critical load. With many new functions, SOFARSOLAR battery inverter were widely
used in 60+ countries (e.g. Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Netherland, France, China etc.), which enable residents’ supply to be secured even in the event of grid failure and decrease the electricity bill. While you have this storage power station and HYD inverter, you may have non-stop energy 24hours.

ZED ( Zero Export Device) :
In some part of India it takes several months to get NET METERING done for their On-Grid Solar Power Plant. It will leads to a huge loss of power production due to delay in net metering. With Zero Export device you can run your PV plant without net metering.

A solution to these problems is Zero Export device will enable solar system owners & operators to limit the amount of solar power that their systems export to the GRID. The integrated power analyzer measures the total power at the point of coupling and compares this
with the adjustable set point of the controller. When the consumption from GRID is above this set point, the solar energy will be increased,
when the consumption is below this set point, the solar energy will be reduced.

EQ: What according to you is the current opportunities, biggest challenges, in Indian Solar Market.

BP: In a now days demanding hybrid inverter, ZERO EXPORT Facilities for net metering &,roof top projects in largest MW Scale with
government subsidies facilities , Agricultural solar pumping project with beneficial scheme for farmers & storage inverter future will also
come very soon. Upgraded technology From 1000V/1100Vdc system to 1500Vdc system in string inverter for to option availabilities / switching in central inverter to string inverter for coast effective & easy service solution. . Already SOFARSOLAR Hybrid & Storage inverter performing very good in EUROPE,NETHERLAND,POLAND & AUSTRALIA market. In India North East & South India very good market for hybrid inverter business.

EQ: Aggressive Bidding despite of many challenges enlisted above, what is your view/opinion.

BP: In India solar market is growing vey well but in a now days solar energy has suffered with some weakness points related to cancellation of allotted project bidding. Solar industry is just come out from the safeguard duty but market movement now going slow due to cancellation of big auction. Recently nearby 4GW auction cancelled by many agencies (SECI,GUVNL,UPENDA,Etc..). after auction opening if it will be completed within shorter time with policies & decided tariff then market will take some faster movement of project completion.

SOFARSOLAR introduces ARPC is abbreviation of the AntiReverse Power Controller as follows.

a. Current sensor, CT is abbreviation of the current sensor as follows.
Appropriate CT’s with rated with 1% accuracy or less AWG
12~18.
b. Voltage sampling cable section: AWG 12~18.
c. CT sampling cable, we recommend using network cable to extend
the wires of CT.
d. Loading limit cable, we recommend using network cable

EQ: Kindly enlighten our readers on the performance of your Inverters in India in various geographic locations, customer feedback.

BP: The Indian solar energy segment is considered to be a market with one of the fastest growth potentials in the world due the country’s ever-increasing demand for energy.We are having very effective “TOP POSITINING” market in Gujarat, Punjab-Haryana, Maharashtra and Chennai-Kerala. Now we are more focusing on North India & North-East India region. Even though we have good installation based in North-East region remote area.

a. SOFARSOLAR is continuously winning most selling Inverters in Gujarat under GEDA rooftop policy & other state also good quantum installation database with prompt service support.
b. SOFARSOLAR is well positioned to become a major player in commercial roof-top & Utility-scale PV installations.
c. SOFARSOLAR :- Largest installation with TOP Position in SKY PROJECT(KUSUM YOJANA ) Scheme in Gujarart,India. SOFAR inverters are installed in the farms under SKY PROJECT (Surya Kisan Yojana) initiative of GUJARAT Government at different Feeders covering GUJARAT region. Same scheme will be start very soon with another state from coming years.

REFERENCE IMAGES
SKY Project (KUSUM YOJANA)

EQ: Currently 10GW + Solar Projects are in the offing, Whats your plan to Capture this opportunity.

BP: Yes, we are performing very good in India rooftop market . SOFARSOLAR is a fastest growing product with good qualities, lesser
service complain & prompt service solutions. No compromise in quality to make cheap product , no compromise in product case material, wide display. In Indian solar market expecting big projection in coming year after last years slowdown & uncertainties due to some policy & project, PPA. Coming year expected more than 10-12GW in rooftop & Medium – large scale projects. The Government has up-scaled the target of renewable energy capacity to 175 GW by the year 2022 which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from small hydropower. The government needs to be more concentrate on the end user’s requirement & support their ability for solar market development, net-metering confusion/clarification, subsidy provision. BIS Certification proposal has been welcomed by the solar industry & It’s likely to also attract more investment & development from Domestic and international manufactures. It will be create more employment in the market & also come with MAKE IN INDIA Concepts

CASE STUDY 2:

a. As part of the Southern Railway’s initiative to go green and save on electricity costs by producing of solar power, rooftop solar plants will be installed at in Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram railway divisions.“As far as the Railways is concerned, it is a win-win situation.”
b. SOFARSOLAR has been committed to corporate social responsibility ever since its foundation. SOFAR 10KTL-X and SOFAR 11KTL-X models are used in this project with RS-485 communication. By successfully completion of this project Kerala government will install more solar plants to other railway station.

SOFARSOLAR :- TOP Position inverter company in GEDA-GUJARAT.

SOFARSOLAR Received Award from EQ Media & another solar media orgnization:

“INVERTER COMPANY OF THE YEAR”
“ROOFTOP COMPANY YEAR OF THE YEAR FOR STATE OF GUJARAT”
“SOLAR CONSUMER CHOICE BRAND AWARDS 2018”
“Rising Star String Inverters Rooftop Scale”

EQ: Present some noteworthy projects, case studies of solar plants built using your solar Inverters.

BP: CASE STUDY :- SKY PROJECT (KUSUM YOJANA). TOP Position in Gujarat

a. The Gujarat government on launched a solar power scheme for farmers- Suryashakti Kisan Yojana (SKY) enabling them to generate
electricity for their captive consumption as well as sell the surplus power to the grid and earn an extra buck & Now in future it will be undercover in KUSUM scheme (Government launched new scheme). SOFARSOLAR own WAREHOUSE in Ahmedabad-Guajrat with wide space & local Indian registration as name of SOFARSOLAR INDIA PVT LTD. LOCAL SALES-SERVICE SUPPORT with LONGVISION Business Policy Establishment in INDIA.
b. SOFARSOLAR is currently installed more than 28MW covering whole Gujarat Region & another more than 30Mw projection to install
very soon. These project demanding very high quality and flexible adaptability for various grid situations and outstanding efficiency in extreme weather condition. SOFAR 4.4KW – 70KW models are using with RS485 communication. SOFARSOLAR is biggest installer & TOP Position in SKY PROJECT Scheme.
c. In recent SKY project numbers of inverters are installed in PGVCL feeder. But due to grid fluctuation of one phase w.r.t other phase inverters repetitively tripped. So we are taking voltage graphs on CRO during Peak time and find the reason of grid voltage variation. We troubleshoot that problem by upgrading inverters and changing voltage limitation for particular feeder. Now all inverters are working in all types of weather condition in different state and generate more energy.
d. In adequate performance of SOFARSOLAR inverters with different data loggers, Grid voltage, extreme conditions, flexible installation pattern proves to be leading in PV market.

EQ: What is the size of your company in terms of manufacturing capacities, growth chart, future expansion plans, revenues, shipments, ASP’s, financial figures ?

BP: We have 8GW manufacturing capabilities with automatic machinery plant & in-house designing facilities & production capacities .Since 2016 ,We have supplied solar inverter systems more than 350Mw+ in India & With Customer great support & trust we are doing good business in Indian market. Also we have very long vision business road map in current & future sales growth. In 2019 projection was more than 250Mw+ & with client-Business partner support Mostly crossed Target . in A 2020 Year SOFARSOLAR is a very aggressive with new
agenda for Business expansion with new innovative products & some up-gradation on current products. We have good installation in ROOFTOP Market & also last year business increased particularly in rooftop segment. Current year also good business projection in rooftop market, Rooftop is a very huge market in India & also government very supportive on rooftop subsidy policy.

EQ: What are your plans for Manufacturing set up in India, the opportunities and challenges in manufacturing in India ?

BP: Well, very interesting question about local manufacturer. If local manufacturer follow process as per required testing facility , production facilities & required manpower to do complete manufacturing task with proper testing/quality process then customer will get proper worth products as per invested coast. We are recommending to client don’t go on cheap prices & polycarbonate type of body with lesser durability life product available in market. In a now days if any local company providing cheap price product without complete process & assemble type of products so it will be not a long life system. So if client not aware about process so we requesting to them go with proper process & visit some manufacturing company in abroad or collect some online data or visit some online manufacturing setup videos & gain your knowledge to get proper product without any cheating in systems. SOFARSOLAR management decided to come in India market very
soon with locally manufacturing facilities “MAKE IN INDIA “ Concept.

EQ: Briefly describe the various technologies and its suitable applications such as Central Inverter, String, Micro Inverter, 1500V, Outdoor, Container solutions etc..

BP: Solar Inverter is Heart of the Solar PV System. Its’s convert DC to AC & Controlling & Monitoring entire SOLAR PV Systems. There are different types of grid tied solar inverters – micro, string and central.
a. Micro inverter :- A microinverter consists of a small box located on the back of or situated very close to a solar panel systems . Its role is
to convert the DC electricity produced by a single solar panel. Small rating voltage system.
b. String inverters :- A string inverter is the type most commonly used in home and commercial solar power systems. It is a large-ish box that
is often situated some distance away from the solar array. Depending on the size of the installation, there may be more than one string inverter present. Medium Rating voltage system.
c. Central inverter:- Central inverters are designed for applications such as large arrays installed on buildings, industrial facilities as
well as field installations – they are basically just a very large string inverter. Its in high rating voltage systems.

Hybrid Inverter & Storage inverter is now new concept in Solar market.

Needed important points of string inverter systems.
1. Well-designed inverter cases: die-casting housings go through anti- corrosion and anti-rust protection processes
2. WIDE Display Screen.
3. Support RS485/WiFi/GPRS/Ethernet for data upload.
4. Built-in SD card with long memories data storage capacity for inverters.
5. Support web portal for online monitoring and APP for mobile phones.
6. Support zero export solution and PID solution.
7. Local technical support for whole India market.
8. Net metering facility.
9. Anti-Islanding protection for grid connected inverters.
10. IV Curve scanning.
11. Long Years reliable products warranty

EQ: Kindly highlight your product, technology & company USP’s, distinctive advantages etc

BP: a. Top 3 On-Grid solar inverter for the residential market in India & perfect choice for Rooftop market product.
b. Top 5 String inverter manufacture in China
c. Specialized in on-grid string inverter since 2012, with wide range from 1kw to 70kw
d. Leading storage solution, including AC retrofitting storage inverter and hybrid inverter.

Certifications: IEC 61727 / 62116 / 61683 / 60068 / 62109 /61000
/60255/ IP65 / EN 50530 & BIS Certification is under process.

Why choose SOFARSOLAR inverters?

(SOFAR SOALR Offering 8 Years warranty in INDIA Market)