GoodWe

A WORLD-LEADING PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) INVERTER AND ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS MANUFACTURER

GOODWE

The Potential of

SOLAR POWER With endless possibilities in solar power, Andrew Tyler, Sales and Business Development Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at GoodWe, discusses the company’s localised approach Writer: Sean Galea-Pace Project Manager: Nick Norris

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It is an extremely exciting time to be working in the solar industry, especially in Africa,” comments Andrew Tyler, Sales and Business Development Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at GoodWe. In Africa, solar power offers a unique solution to the age-old problem of there being very little access to electricity, and Tyler believes

that the possibilities are endless.

“We have recently reached the point where solar power is cheaper to produce than traditional forms of power, this is known as grid-parity,” he tells us.

His company is GoodWe — a world-leading photovoltaic (PV) inverter and energy storage solutions manufacturer.

With an accumulative delivery of more than two million inverters and

ENERGY & UTILITIES

installation of 23 gigawatts in more than 100 countries, GoodWe solar inverters have been used in residential and commercial rooftops, industrial and utility scale systems, and range from 0.7 to 250 kilowatts.

Technological innovation is GoodWe’s main expertise. With an in-house R&D team of around 300 employees across two R&D centres, the firm offers a comprehensive

Andrew Tyler, Sales and Business Development Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa

portfolio of products and solutions for residential, commercial and utility scale PV systems, ensuring that performance and quality go hand-inhand across the entire range.

The company has more than 2,000 employees situated in 15 different countries and was regarded as the world leading storage inverter supplier by Wood Mackenzie in 2020. GoodWe was also ranked as Africa Outlook issue 89 | 3

GOODWE one of the Top 10 inverter suppliers

by IHS Markit and has achieved five consecutive TUV Rheinland ‘All Quality Matters’ Awards.

For as long as Tyler can remember, he has always had an interest in energy and the different uses of it.

“Alternative energy, specifically solar power, had always intrigued me as it offered the ability to create power in places where traditional sources of power were unable to,” he explains.

“My career in solar started just over five years ago where I was given

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the opportunity to work with a small start-up distributor in Johannesburg.

I have gained immense experience in all aspects of the industry, having had the opportunity to work in distribution at Segen Solar and directly with a manufacturer such as Jinko Solar and now with my current role at GoodWe.” Indeed, Tyler is well aware about what sets his organisation apart from competitors.

“GoodWe has a more localised approach to our business operations in each country or region we operate

in,” he says.

“We will always have local staff who understand the market and a product portfolio that offers products that match the requirements for that region.”

In September 2020, GoodWe confirmed its initial public offering of its common stock and is now officially listed as a public limited company, with shares trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The ceremony was attended by leading figures of the solar industry and coincided with GoodWe’s 10th anniversary – a decade which was marked by relentless hard work, continuous innovation and international success.

Daniel Huang, CEO at GoodWe, said: “GoodWe has achieved consistent, continuous and sustainable growth for several years and has proven, year after year, that its financial success is a result of its step-by-step approach of strategic growth and consolidation.

We have been working relentlessly for over ten years and have reached new frontiers. The IPO marks the beginning of a new chapter.”

ENERGY & UTILITIES

MISSION

To provide seamless and hasslefree products and solutions.

VISION

The impact of coal-fired power plants poses a significant threat to the environment and public health. As an advocate for a greener environment, it is GoodWe’s responsibility to provide a more sustainable future for the new generations to come.

GoodWe is already recognised as the leader in the storage segment and holds a 15 percent global market share, while being ranked in first place as the world’s residential hybrid inverter supplier of choice, by Wood Mackenzie.

The organisation has a drive to continue to expand its storage portfolio to include the latest innovations and continue to lead the storage revolution. GoodWe set up an integrated service system for pre-sales, in-sales

and after-sales and has established service centres worldwide, aiming to offer global support to all customers including project consulting, technical training, on-site support and aftersales service.

In 2020, GoodWe unveiled its new family of C&I and utility scale inverters, the HT Series, which completes its vast portfolio. Further improvements in inverter technology and battery compatibility are expected in 2021

and 2022. The company is set to continue to lead research efforts in SEMS energy applications in a bid to allow owners to benefit from automated energy choices which are based on real-time operating conditions. GoodWe will likely front research efforts that are aimed at implementing energy trading technologies that enable shared energy communities and zerocarbon future.

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GOODWE

NEW GOODWE PRODUCTS ESA SERIES GoodWe’s ESA Series is an all-in-one solar and storage solution which integrates the inverter, battery charger, UPS and battery enclosure into a pre-wired modular system for easier and faster installation. The compact, elegantly designed and robust unit is IP65 rated and can be mounted either inside or outside, withstanding all weather conditions.

This can perfectly integrate with a five-kilowatt hybrid inverter with a 10 kilowatt-hour Lithium battery inside.

Additionally, the exquisite ESA Series means less space and provides neater installation than a split storage system in order to create a high-performance system that is aesthetically pleasing.

The ESA Series is pre-wired and factory tested to allow for quick installation. The modular, manoeuvrable system allows the user to keep installation costs down. It only takes a quick three-step process to connect the system to the customer’s home internet. This will reduce 50 percent of installation time.

AC/DC Breaker, Plug and Play connectors and external communication connector. This ensures that the installation is much more convenient, and saves costs, space and up to 70 percent of installation time compared to similar products.

GOODWE HIGH VOLTAGE RESIDENTIAL BATTERIES GoodWe is also very proud to announce its own product in the heavily sought-after battery market. The Lynx Home S Series is a high voltage battery that offers multiple energy storage options through and expandable modular design (3-8 modules can be combined), which further simplifies installation and O&M with multiple smart functions.

The safest battery cell technology (LFP) comes with a high charging rate of 50A, ensuring superior performance and supplying robust power for your daily life. Not only can the Lynx Home S automatically reboot when it enters the self-protection mode (under-voltage), the built-in systems support software allows remote diagnosis and upgrades for the main module (BMU) and the vice modules (LMU). With its IP65 protection degree, the GoodWe Lynx Home S can be installed indoors and outdoors for flexibility and convenience.

EHB SERIES The EHB Series single-phase hybrid inverter specially designed to meet the increasing energy storage needs from the residential segment. It is the ultimate integrated multi-function system and follows a Plug and Play design and has an external communication connector, which makes the installation process convenient and efficient.

Supporting up to 50A battery charge, the EHB can easily supply power to critical loads when the grid is compromised. It is AFCI-Ready and can support rapid shutdown function. These features make this inverter a perfect match for application in South African houses.

The EHB Series negates all the complexities of the installation process with its well-designed integrated

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ENERGY & UTILITIES With development on the horizon, the company is close to launching its aftersales service channel which will provide GoodWe clients level one and two support in English and RMA stock.

“Next to the already released and installed GoodWe ESA All-in-OneSeries, we have also launched our EHB series inverter which is specifically developed and manufactured for the African market,” says Tyler.

“Key highlights offered this product are a five to 10 kilowatt single-phase output, 15-kilowatt max DC Input (10 kilowatts for AC output and five kilowatts for DC charging), 4MPPT and an installer friendly design with DC/AC breakers and an AC changeover switch integrated.”

GoodWe has built its entire business around working with strategic distribution partners in each market.

“This relationship is extremely important to us as it allows us to focus on large volumes with our distributors who then sell on to the smaller installers in a market,” he adds.

In March 2020, GoodWe was selected as the exclusive licensing partner of solar inventers for The HT Series (shown below left) is GoodWe’s further development based on the extremely successful C&I inverters of the SMT and MT Series. The HT series offers 100kW-136kW models with 1100V DC input, comes with 10-12 MPPT’s and is compatible with Bi-facial Modules, ensuring a maximum utilisation of available solar energy. It boasts 50 percent DC oversizing capabilities along with 15 percent AC overloading to fulfill the energy generation demands. Furthermore, the HT Series can help maximize generation across the entire PV system with its capability of low voltage start-up and full output in harsh environments of 50 degrees Celsius.

The HT series also includes integrated string level monitoring and built-in SPD on AC & DC side and an integrated Anti-PID function removes the need for a separate PID box, saving on additional costs. It offers a No-Fuse/No-LCD design with Full Film capacitors which guarantees a long lifespan and features IP66 enclosures to enhance performance while keeping it protected from heavy dust ingress and highpressured water from any direction.

Thomas Haering, Managing Director of GoodWe Europe GmbH, which was founded in 2018 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, recognises the importance of staff and believes that harnessing a positive culture is vital.

“The creation of the German EMEA HQ has helped tremendously to intensify the cooperation with our partners in Southern Africa and improve the relation and communication not only with customers, but especially also with our own staff.

We have a very open company ethos where we encourage employees to take ownership of topics and follow projects and tasks in their own manner,” he says.

“Even though we have a very large company in the background, the core structure of the European office is still relatively new, which gives us the advantage that we can fully work in start-up atmosphere, so to speak. It creates a very dynamic approach to things and allows personal development and entrepreneurial spirit.”

Thomas Hearing, Managing Director, GoodWe Europe GmbH

GE’s global sales. The powerful combination of GoodWe’s product quality and reputation, as well as GE’s iconic brand is a recipe for success that has the potential to replicate European success stories in the United States and worldwide.

In choosing its partner, GE underwent a rigid selection process which saw a large number of solar inverter manufacturers carefully studied, analysed, scrutinised and examined in every minute detail.

Around 32 manufacturers were then shortlisted and went through an even more comprehensive assessment that included everything from the technical capabilities of key components to the firm’s financial stability and extent of global service coverage. Commenting at the time, Thomas Buccellato, Senior Managing Director at GE Licensing, commented: “Our analysts knew we needed world-class products, as we will be targeting the high end of the market where end-user loyalty to the brand also comes with high expectations.

GoodWe is the right choice.”

Looking ahead to the next 12 months, Tyler is optimistic about what the future could hold for his firm.

“2021 is going to be a big and exciting year for GoodWe as we are growing the South African team to ensure that we can focus on growing not only in South Africa but also growing our footprint on the African continent,” says Tyler.

“We consider RSA as our major hub for the whole Sub-Saharan Africa region and try to support neighbouring countries as much as possible from our RSA base.”

Tel: +27 60 972 9457 sales.africa@goodwe.com www.goodwe.com

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GOODWE Kistlerhofstrasse 170 81379 Munich Germany Tel: +27 60 972 9457 sales.africa@goodwe.com www.goodwe.com

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