Interview with Mr. Praveen K. Jain, Associate Vice President, Knowledge Centre, Su-Kam
1. Please start with introducing your new product line, SolarCon.
The Indian market is diversifying with the introduction of solar related products and solar integrated systems. Solar energy has helped customersto derive benefits of electricity powered by the sun. Solar products use green technology and it not only helps to save money on electricity bills, but also provides quiet and efficient operation.
Su-Kam has introduced, for the first time in India, Solar Con – the solar conversion kit that enables the customer to convert his existing inverter& battery into solar. SolarCon is an intelligent solar converter that when attached to an existing inverter and battery along with solar panels can help to reap benefits from the power of solar.
Solarcon protects the overcharging of battery in high ambient temperatures which enhances the life of the connected battery significantly. The product enables the customer to run load directly from solar once the battery of the inverter is fully charged (through solar). Solarcon also provides LCD for display of data and information to customers about the system status and savings generated.
2. What is the ideology behind this innovation?
There is a big market of small inverters in India and over 4 million inverters are sold every year, so there is a big group of prospective customers having inverters/HUPS in their homes and would like to take benefit of renewable energy such as solar energy.
The regular solutions available in the market provide a separate charge controller to charge the existing inverter battery. This kind of solution is harmful for the battery because when mains is present it would charge the battery from both the sources (grid and solar) without any control over the charging current hence damaging the battery.
The solution
Su-Kam’sSolarcon hybrid solar charge controller solution overcomes the challenges in the existing solutions. It can be connected with any existing HUPS/inverter and convert it into a solar powered system. It controls the mains supply to the inverter so that when the battery is fully charged and still solar power is available to charge the battery, it automatically disconnects the mains from the inverter and the inverter starts working in backup mode now the power is supplied from battery and solar.This helps in utilizing the solar power generated optimally. When the battery is discharged below the pre-defined user settable limit and mains is present, it is connected to the inverter so that the load is bypassed to mains and the battery charging can take place
3. What are the core competencies & USP (unique features) of SolarCon to cater competition in market?
At Su-Kam, we are constantly working on new technologies & products within the solar space to offer to Institutional, industrial, corporate and home consumers. We keep innovating and offering diverse solutions which make the experience enriching as we keep progressing.
Solar Con – the solar conversion kit that enables the customer to convert his existing inverter into solar has the following benefits:
– Enables the customer to run load directly from solar once the battery of the inverter is fully charged (through solar)
– Own power generator
– Reduction in electricity bills
– Increased battery back-up and battery life
– Rupee saving from solar is displayed on the user friendly display on SolarCon
– Easy installation
– Peak Power Tariff Programming
– Automatic Switchover to Grid/inverter
– Eco Friendly
4. What is the market response is expected for Solar Con and how is so-far received?
We launched the Solar Con in April 2014. The response received for the product has been very good as more and more users are opting for converting their existing inverters to solar inverters. Our extensive marketing outreach wherein we are training all our dealers, distributors & several customers about this new product through advertisements and training programs is also generating huge response.
5. What will be the future developments planned for this SolarCon Product line.
We are in the process of replicating and developing the same system for higher capacity inverters.
6. Do you have any industrial collaboration for SolarCon marketing or it will available on retail stores.
It is available at our authorised dealerships pan India.
7. How do you look at Indian solar market and solar inverters in domestic usage and future of solar energy in India?
With a view to the present energy crises and the ever increasing difference between the generation and consumption of energy, solar energy is going to play a major role in fulfilling the gap in the energy sector. The government is also placing lot of emphasis to the new and renewable energy resources to reduce the dependence on the fossil fuels. The solar industry has a growing share in the global energy market. According to a report, grid-connected solar systems should increase to about 42 GW globally, reflecting a double digit compounded annual growth rate.
Due to technical potential of 5,000 trillion kWh per year to minimize the operating cost, Solar Power is considered to be the best suited energy source for India. Today the Solar power has an installed capacity of 1300 MW which is about less than 0.1% usage, currently total installed renewable energy stands at 13, 500 MW as per MNRE. Renewable energy will not only cut down the operational expenditure by 15- 20% but also address problems that arise due to power crisis. The subsidy provided by the government for Solar Power Providers will offer major benefits to key market player.
Also twenty-four hour power supply is a rarity in India. There are very few places in the country that can boast of having continuous supply of power. All this has resulted in growth of Inverters, UPS and DG sets industry in India. The consumption of power in India has gone up manifolds, whereas there is immense lack of infrastructure to provide uninterrupted power supply, making a large section of domestic consumers depend upon the usage of power inverters. Solar hybrid inverters are the latest technology trend in the inverter market. These hybrid inverters are now being used substantially for the home market as it is more compact and adaptable. Customization is the major factor driving the inverter market in India as the industry is moving to higher efficiencies and minimal system losses by offering efficient power inverters.