Thai market ripe for entrepreneurial spirit – pv magazine International

June 1, 2023

The President of Polytechnology Thailand, Narratchai Leeraphant, mentioned that the nation’s robust photo voltaic absorption signifies that the market is prepared for next-generation know-how, specifically, batteries, electrical automobile chargers, photo voltaic optimizers, and “full stack” product bundles.

Current modifications in Thai security requirements and rules for speedy shutdown of photo voltaic techniques will make optimizers a brand new development. is a development within the nation, mentioned Leeraphant, including, “In order that we will improve our gross sales, from inverters to inverters and optimizers, the place our resolution is probably the most superior available in the market.”

Photo voltaic is already so established in Thailand that it’s troublesome to put in extra rooftop techniques in some areas, mentioned Leeraphant, so the know-how to retailer and use the ensuing ample inexperienced power is extra obligatory.

Polytechnology has partnered with Huawei since 2014, beginning because the model’s inverter distributor in Thailand and now providing the latter quite a lot of battery power storage techniques and knowledge middle merchandise. Talking of battery techniques, Leeraphant says, “Polytechnology and Huawei are dealing with value, buyer expectations, and what present battery know-how can do.” He mentioned the following step is to extend market training about security requirements and the worth of superior battery know-how, to carry the power storage market to maturity.

Whereas the Asian roofing market tends to be dominated by business and industrial installations, Leeraphant says family demand is rising. The principle impediment for the residential section is the truth that most individuals are usually not at house through the day to make use of the solar energy that their panels can generate. Leeraphant believes that Huawei’s LUNA2000 house battery, which Polytechnology launched to the Thai market in 2022, will shut this hole, enabling households to switch their photo voltaic power to make use of it at evening.

There may be additionally a rising demand for built-in renewable know-how product bundles. This full-stack technique is changing into more and more standard with photo voltaic producers and retailers around the globe and is especially precious in Southeast Asia, the place energy networks stay a problem. These built-in product suites are simpler to put in and extra user-friendly – ​​particularly necessary for a area the place renewable know-how burst onto the scene later than Europe, the US, and Australia.

The complete stack bundle is efficacious for engineering, procurement, and building (EPC) corporations, Leeraphant mentioned. “The set up of rooftop photo voltaic,” he defined, “typically the worth could be very troublesome as a result of there are numerous gamers, so including EV [electric vehicle] Charging provides extra worth, in comparison with different opponents.”

Added worth is at all times on Leeraphant’s thoughts – together with the management of Polytechnology he owns a multinational restaurant franchise enterprise and the Thai Worldwide College. Whereas, on the floor, these efforts seem to have little in widespread with the photo voltaic business, Leeraphant sees a number of crossover. The restaurant enterprise supplies classes on easy methods to handle sub-tiers within the power sector to retailers, Leeraphant mentioned, whereas the varsity supplies a platform to show a technology of scholars about renewable know-how. , and in addition a possibility to indicate the merchandise of the mother or father makers. in a gaggle of prime managers and enterprise house owners.

For Leeraphant, the important thing to good enterprise is staying open to new know-how, even when it disrupts corporations. Whereas Polytechnology has lengthy been concerned within the power sector, its roots are in oil and fuel. Nonetheless, the corporate entered new inexperienced markets again in 2011 and, two years later, put in the primary public EV charger in Thailand, earlier than EVs and charging merchandise have been mainstream. “Polytech has been finding out the EV enterprise since 2011, greater than every other firm,” Leeraphant mentioned.

From 2020, the demand for EVs and associated charging tools will improve, mentioned Leeraphant, which places Polytechnology in a robust place to make use of its data within the sector. The entrepreneur of Polytechnology sees particularly nice development potential for public DC (direct present) chargers, of which Leeraphant’s firm has already put in round 450 throughout the nation. In 2021, the corporate delivered 120 MW of DC charging capability and nearly 4 instances the quantity of final 12 months, when it reached 450 MW. Demand for house and workplace chargers can also be rising in Thailand, Leeraphant mentioned.

With nations around the globe dedicated to carbon neutrality, and Asia anticipated to expertise an enormous improve in electrical energy demand, Leeraphant is assured that the demand for photo voltaic, EVs, and battery merchandise – the -first set of decarbonization applied sciences – will proceed to develop. “We see that our development will enhance within the subsequent few years,” he mentioned, “if we include the proper companions.”

“The important thing success issue is that you need to be open to new know-how or new alliances on a regular basis,” Leeraphant added. “Possibly it is not the proper time however when the time comes, you need to be prepared and be the primary to set the route of the market, in any other case you will be a follower of the market.”