PV Japan 2015: REC boosts its presence on the Japanese market with new products and solutions, new partners and comprehensive market expertise
REC, the largest European brand of solar panels, is showcasing excellence at Japan’s largest exhibition of the solar industry, PV Japan in Tokyo from July 29-31. With new products and solutions, new partners and comprehensive market expertise, REC is demonstrating thought leadership and will continue to reinforce its presence as a major player in Japan’s solar industry.
Being now part of the Norwegian Elkem Group, REC is even in a stronger position to boost its pole position by further optimizing the solar value chain and utilizing solar’s incredible long-term potential. REC executives and regional representatives will be on hand at booth P2-103 to discuss insights on the Japanese market.
Renowned quality with new products and solutions
Visitors to PV Japan 2015 will have ample opportunity to see REC’s renowned product quality close up with new products on display. With demand on quality requirements continuously increasing, the recently introduced REC TwinPeak solar panel, an Intersolar Award winner, is rated up to 280 watt peak, delivering more power output per square meter. Especially in regions such as Japan where space is at a premium, this is an important USP. The new multi crystalline series is ideal for the full range of rooftop solar applications in the growing residential, commercial, and industrial markets.
To further leverage the promising opportunities for solar energy installations in Japanese homes, REC is introducing its SolarKit solution for the residential segment also. After the successful launch for commercial installations in Q1, the all-in-one solar kit provides a perfectly matched combination of REC Peak Energy solar panels, inverter, remote controller and cables. Private solar energy enthusiasts no longer need to worry about potential hassles of mixing and matching different components or trying to minimize losses in energy efficiencies.
The new developments will be on display alongside the established REC Peak Energy Series, also as a compatible version with ZEP racking systems for residential markets in Japan. This mounting system permits faster installation and improved aesthetics. Supplemented by the REC Peak Energy 72-cell series for large commercial, industrial and utility scale installations, the range of products available demonstrates REC’s ability to address various customers’ needs in Japan.
Increased solar footprint with a new partner
With WQ Inc. as a new member of the prestigious REC Partner Program, REC is successfully increasing its solar footprint in Japan’s expanding residential segment. WQ Inc. has completed around 400 installations with a total capacity of 31.3 MW using over 122,000 REC solar panels. Both companies will work together to certify REC Solar Professionals in order to ensure excellent quality for private solar system owners on both the product and installation levels.
REC’s increased solar footprint will be also demonstrated by impressive solar installations. The most recent success story is the Tomakomai Rinku Kashiwabara Power Plant with a system size of 1.7 MW. Making efficient use of 33,600 m2 of previously unutilized land, Japan’s NYK Trading Corporation and Nippon Container Terminal Co. Ltd. are benefiting from a secure long-term investment as well as boosting their environmental reputation by saving 1,337 tons of CO2 emissions every year. Another impressive reference case on display is the 480 kW commercial installation at the IKEA Sendai store in the Miyagi Prefecture.
Dynamic growth as solar system costs approach grid parity
Japan will be the second largest market in 2015, with installations forecast to reach 10.4 GW. The commercial and mega-solar segments will still account for a large proportion of Japanese demand in 2015. The most common commercial system size will be 10-50 kW, with 3.7 GW of installed capacity expected in this segment. Mega solar installations above 1 MW system size will increase to nearly 4.6 GW in 2015. Despite a 5.5 percent cut to feed-in tariffs, the Japanese residential sector remains a dynamic market for solar energy investment. “Solar energy can be generated today at around JPY 27 (USD 0.22) per kWh, which is approaching grid parity. With average solar system prices having dropped by around 50% over the last six years, solar installations can maintain attractive ROI even at these reduced feed-in tariffs. REC therefore expects a stronger push for the residential segment and predicts residential installations will reach 1.5 GW in 2015 in Japan,” says Tadao Kasahara, Executive Chairman at REC Solar Japan.
“Japan is consistently one of the world’s largest markets for solar power installations, and continues to be a key market for REC. We are valued as a premium supplier in the quality-conscious Japanese market,” Kasahara adds. “Our exceptionally low product claims rate confirms REC’s quality. To put this in perspective: out of a total of four million panels shipped last year, less than 400 were returned to REC as defective.”
For further information please contact:
Agnieszka Schulze
Public Relations Manager, REC
Leopoldstr. 175, 80804 Munich, Germany
Phone +49 89 54 04 67 225
Email agnieszka.schulze@recgroup.com
About REC:
REC is the largest European brand of solar panels, with more than 15 million high-quality panels produced at the end of 2014. With integrated manufacturing from polysilicon to wafers, cells, panels and turnkey solar solutions, REC strives to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. In partnership with a sales channel of distributors, installers, and EPCs, REC panels are installed globally. Founded in 1996, REC is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway and operational headquarters in Singapore. REC’s 1,800 employees worldwide generated revenues of USD 680 million in 2014.
Find out more about REC at www.recgroup.com
