Solar EPC Innovation Guide

An Expert Advisor

About the Report

Solar Mango has realized that many successful solar installers are differentiating themselves from the rest by taking up and implementing innovative solar technologies and concepts. Solar Mango has prepared the Solar EPC Innovation Guide to assist new and existing installers keen on exploring methods to succeed in the solar industry.

This comprehensive expert report and guide will be invaluable for EPCs keen on exploring strategies to differentiate themselves in the global solar industry. In this report, Solar Mango provides case studies of various innovative solar technologies and business models, discusses the potential for each of these, and provide insights on sales strategies that help them differentiate in a highly competitive solar market.

Why is this report critical for solar EPCs to succeed?

The solar EPC sector has become overcrowded with most EPCs operating at wafer-thin margins and offering commodity products or services. In this report, Solar Mango emphasizes that for a solar EPC to succeed, there is a need to stand-out and opt a differentiated business strategy.

The report will provide critical inputs on the following:

• Strong conceptual understanding of underlying drivers and trends
• How solar EPCs can succeed by offering highly differentiated and innovative solutions and identifies premium segments where this can be applied
• Case studies on how successful companies are getting business

This focused report will assist a solar EPC in showing a practical, strategic way forward.

 What are the innovations talked about in this report?

Solar Mango, based on its’ comprehensive understanding of the solar market, aims to project the key solar innovations – technology and business models – that can be a key growth driver for EPCs. The innovations for rooftop and ground-mounted segments have been addressed.

In the report, Solar Mango has arrived at a list of 20 innovations which have promising future potential and are implementable. The report discusses the various characteristics and aspects that define each of these innovations.

• Solar carports
• Elevated solar rooftops
• Floating solar power plants
• Bifacial panels
• Solar loans
• Community solar
• Customer acquisition software
• Construction management software
• Asset management
• Cloud-based tools such as salesforce
• Flexible solar panels
• Transparent solar panels
• Colored solar panels
• String-level solar monitoring solutions
• IoT in solar monitoring
• BIPVs
• Perovskites
• High-efficiency PERC cells
• Rooftop solar trackers
• Anti-dust solar panels
• Multi-junction solar cells
• Solar panels on greenhouses
• Solar-wind hybrids
• Solar rickshaws
• Solar ferries
• Energy storage

Who should buy this report?

The focus segment of this report are new and existing

• Solar installers
• Solar system integrators
• Solar EPCs

This report is targeted towards entrepreneurs and businesses who wish to adopt innovative solutions that set them apart from the rest by incorporating differentiated strategies to become successful.

Why should you buy this report from Solar Mango?

Solar Mango’s Expertise in the Solar Sector

• Solar Mango is one of the most respected brands in the Indian solar sector.
• Considered the #1 solar guide, our expertise in the technical, market and commercial aspects of solar energy has benefitted over 1500 stakeholders – ranging from industries, commercial establishments, small businesses, entrepreneurs, government, educational institutes and more.
• Through our focused consulting assignments and research reports, and our team of industry specialists, we bring in in-depth expertise in many critical aspects of solar power, especially solar PV.

Solar Mango’s Contacts in the Indian Solar Sector

• Being a pioneer in solar power industry research and consulting (we have been serving the Indian solar power market since 2009 when the solar power growth was just beginning)
• We own some of the leading online resources for solar energy in India, Solar Mango has one of the most extensive contact networks with solar industry specialists and experts in the field.

Snapshots of Attractive Solar Innovations

Carport

Source: GTM Research

Prominent carport installations

Source: Constellation

Capacity Installed	2.4 MW dc
Location	Headquarters of Owens Corning, Toledo
Business Model	Build, Own, Operate
PPA Period	20 years
Developed	Constellation
Description	Located above 935 parking canopy spaces, the solar installation is currently one of the largest of its kind in Midwest US and supports Owens Corning’s newly expanded goals aimed at reducing its environmental footprint.

 Floating Solar Plant

Source: Kyocera

The plants, inaugurated in late March 2015, will generate an estimated 3,300 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year in total– enough electricity to power approximately 920 typical households.

Location	Two reservoirs in Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Operation	Kyocera TCL Solar LLC
Output	Nishihira Pond: 1.7MW; Higashihira Pond: 1.2MW (Total: 2.9MW)
Solar Modules	255-watt Kyocera modules (11,256 modules in total)
Expected annual power generation	Approx. 3,300MWh/year Electricity generated will be sold to the local utility (The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.) through Japan’s feed-in-tariff system.
Start of construction	September 2014
Start of operation	March 2015

 

Community Solar

Community Solar Growth Rate in the USA

Source: GTM Research

The next five years will see the U.S. community solar market add an impressive 1.8 gigawatts, compared to just 66 megawatts through the end of 2014.

Bifacial Solar

Bifacial Module Shipments from China

Source: EnergyTrend

According to EnergyTrend, shipments of dual-glass modules from Chinese manufacturers grew to about 800~900MW. Trina Solar accounted for half of the China’s shipments, followed by Canadian Solar and BYD. Other major Chinese suppliers include Almaden, JA Solar, Phono Solar and Jinneng Clean Energy.

Bifacial solar Manufacturers

Make	Model	Country
Sunpreme	GxB Series	USA
LG Solar	60 cell NeON 2	Korean
Trina Solar	Duo-Max	China
Canadian Solar	Diamond Series	China
Yingli Solar	TwinMAX 60 cell series	China
BYD	“430” silica gel dual-glass module	China

BIPV

Prominent Installation – Renovation of ‘Palmenhouse’ Munich, Germany

Source: Sapa Solar

Capacity Installed	27 kWp
Panel Make	Sapa Solar, Polycrystalline
Panel Rating	75 Wp
No of panels	360
Description	For the renovation of this greenhouse, financed by the city of Munich, some glass was substituted by solar see-through panels. Because direct solar rays are harmful to some of the tropical plants in the greenhouse, modules with 35% transparency were integrated into the roof.

Key Topics Covered

Global Solar Power Scenario

• Overview of solar installed capacity
• Trends in different solar markets
  • Solar pricing trends
  • Growth drivers

This section provides market data and trends for the following regions

• China
• Germany
• US
• Japan
• UK
• India
• Emerging markets
  • South Asia
  • Africa
  • South America

Challenges faced by Solar Installers and EPCs

• Challenges
  • Lack of innovation and differentiation
  • Thin margins
  • High competition

Emerging Innovative Solar Products & Services

• Emerging Innovative solar products and services
  • Innovative Solar Technologies
    • Solar carports
    • Elevated solar rooftops
    • Floating solar power plants
    • Bifacial panels
    • Rooftop solar trackers
    • Anti-dust solar panels
  • Innovative Solar Business Models
    • Solar loans
    • Community solar
    • Virtual net metering
    • Group metering
  • Innovative Solar Sales Strategies
    • Customer management software

In this section, a parametric analysis of different solar products & services is performed based on the following parameters

• Target segments
  • Ground-mounted and rooftop
  • Geography-based
  • Industry-based
• Key benefits to the end user
• Key risks and challenges
• Key technology/scientific aspects that drive the innovation
• Vendors who are already supplying this or similar solution
• Ideally suited segment

Avenues for Differentiation

• Technical avenues for innovation
  • Rooftop sector
    • High-efficiency solar panels
    • Customized mounting structure designs
    • Solutions for special rooftop surfaces
      • Curved roof
      • Steep roof
    • Solar PV- solar thermal combination
  • Ground-mounted
    • Advanced data acquisition systems
    • Solar-wind hybrids
    • Construction management software
  • Superior service
    • Transparent service-level agreements
    • Quick turnaround time
    • Automation of EPC functions
    • Offering buyer’s credit
  • O&M avenues for differentiation
    • Bundled O&M with EPC
    • Asset management solutions
  • Marketing Innovations
    • Innovative branding techniques
      • Well packaged solar power packs
    • Customer acquisition software

Case Studies

• Case Studies on innovative solar installations
  • Colored solar panels – Sistine Solar
  • Solar carports – Sunshot Technologies – 513 kWp in a leading international airport in India
  • Rooftop Solar Trackers – Edison Microgrids
  • Bifacial modules – SolarWorld’
  • BIPV – Heliatek
  • Multi-junction cells – Insolight
  • Floating solar plants – Kyocera

About Solar Mango

Solar Mango is a division of Energy Alternatives India (EAI), India’s largest renewable energy and clean technology research and consulting firm.

The range of services Solar Mango provides include:

Clients whom we have assisted –  ·         Solar Mango assisted an Indian IT company in the selection of innovative and customized solutions such as high-efficiency solar panels and hybrid inverters for their rooftop solar power plant. ·         Solar Mango assisted the World Bank in getting a thorough understanding of solar and other renewable energy investments in India ·         Solar Mango provided turnkey market entry and market development assistance for a major German firm in the solar plant monitoring space to enter, recruit, conduct road shows, and acquire prominent customers for the Indian market.

 

Other Clients –