Rush to rooftop solar doubles sales for Australia’s only PV manufacturer

Australia’s only solar panel manufacturer, Tindo Solar, says module sales have doubled over the past two months, as consumers seek out higher quality rooftop PV systems and longer-term solutions to soaring power prices.

Tindo’s new CEO, Richard Petterson, says that while high electricity prices are driving an upsurge in home solar and battery sales, a separate trend is emerging where consumers are putting a premium on quality.

Petterson says that the doubling of solar panel sales from September to November has also been accompanied by a doubling in battery sales over the same period. Tindo offers customers batteries from brands including Tesla, sonnen and SolarEdge.

Petterson, who took the reins at Tindo following the resignation in October of Shane Jaenisch, says Australian consumers now expect more from their rooftop solar systems than simply power generation and self consumption.

This includes participation in schemes like virtual power plants, that reward customers for the smart use of their solar power, and for shifting their exports and consumption to times that work best for the broader grid.

Solar customers take the long view

He says customers are also putting a premium on longevity, and on reliable customer service and manufacturer support for the lifetime of their solar system.

“More people are seeking high-quality solutions which includes Australia-made solar modules designed for Australian conditions,” said Petterson.

“Our customers are very aware that Tindo Solar panels are Australia-made, and that our panels have a 25-year performance warranty.

“The feedback from our sales team is that Australians regard a 25-year panel as a more environmentally sustainable product because they’re less likely to have to replace it,” he said.

“Our panels are among the most energy-efficient in the local market, but we also build a very tough product. Our panels have a cyclone-rating which means they’re able to be used in Northern Australia.”

Tindo’s year of growth and change

It’s been a big 2022 for Tindo, including the May launch of new and expanded manufacturing facilities in the company’s home base of Adelaide.

The $5 million production has the capacity to produce up to 150MW of solar panel capacity each year, at more than three times the size of Tindo’s previous factory.

The new facility has also paved the way for Tindo to assemble panels with M10 solar cells – larger and more efficient solar cells that Tindo says have become a de facto industry standard.

In February, Tindo launched its first utility-scale panel – 545W Karra module – branching out from its focus on making high quality residential and commercial rooftop panels.

And in October, Tindo revealed it was embarking on a collaboration with the University of NSW to develop an Australian made agrivoltaic solar line.

The two organisations say the partnership will build on breakthrough technology from UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) that allows some colours of the light spectrum to pass through a solar panel, while others are captured by the cells.

The semi-transparent solar modules could be used in farming, either ground-mounted in fields or integrated with greenhouses, where the solar cells generate power while also allowing sunlight through to promote plant growth.