There’s little doubt that rooftop photo voltaic and residential batteries are a bloody good combo. Not solely does photo voltaic enable households to make a contribution in direction of the combat towards local weather change, however it could assist householders take management over their vitality provide and keep away from skyrocketing energy costs. And as soon as panels produced by Pure Photo voltaic’s mum or dad firm 1KOMMA5° hit the Aussie market later this 12 months, householders could have the added peace of thoughts that their photo voltaic modules had been produced effectively and humanely.
Given its virtues, the final decade has seen Aussie householders undertake photo voltaic at world-beating charges – a lot in order that photo voltaic is more and more beating coal because the main energy technology supply within the Australian grid.
However there have additionally been some questions raised lately about the place and the way the majority of the photo voltaic panels are made. Some fear that if photo voltaic panels, and their element components, are being produced utilizing polluting energy sources then the PV business will probably be contributing to the issue it’s working to unravel.
There have additionally been issues raised that some photo voltaic merchandise could also be produced utilizing employees from the Xinjiang area in China – the place there have been experiences of compelled labor practices. The ethnic minority Uyghur individuals are the topic of compelled labor packages, and there have been hyperlinks between some photo voltaic producers and these packages.
After which the broader geopolitical scenario is a trigger for concern. We’ve all seen how, on this more and more related world, battle in a single area can set off impacts all around the world. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia being the prime instance of this, resulting in the world’s first world vitality disaster – and the excessive electrical energy costs quickly to hit Aussie householders.
Tensions between China and america are rising. In the present day, China is far-and-away the world’s largest producer of photo voltaic panels. Actually, the nation has so adeptly captured the photo voltaic panel provide chain that it produces upwards of 97% of photo voltaic wafers – the constructing blocks of a panel.
Doing it ourselves
Given these dynamics, the workforce at 1KOMMA5° took the daring step to start producing and supplying our personal photo voltaic modules for our prospects. Pure Photo voltaic was welcomed into the 1KOMMA5 household in October 2022, and we look ahead to supplying our Full-Black photo voltaic modules to Aussie householders as quickly as this spring.
However establishing a photo voltaic manufacturing operation will not be one thing that may be completed in a single day. There are various phases to the photo voltaic manufacturing course of, and 1KOMMA5° will start by tackling the manufacturing steps the place essentially the most affect by way of environmental, social, and security-of-supply will be achieved.
As an preliminary step alongside this journey, 1KOMMA5° has contracted with German polysilicon producer WACKER to safe sufficient of the uncooked materials to equip 25,000 houses with photo voltaic programs within the first 12 months alone. Polysilicon is the fabric from which photo voltaic wafers, cells, and finally panels is made.
WACKER is an professional in producing polysilicon, and by securing an enormous provide of high-purity “poly” from the corporate, 1KOMMA5° can be certain that it’s modules are produced in an vitality environment friendly means.
Talking to the media on the announcement, 1KOMMA5° founder Philipp Schröder defined how WACKER poly means extra energy-efficient modules. “The financial savings are from effectivity, and likewise since Germany’s vitality combine, particularly electrical energy, is nearly 50% renewable vitality and WACKER has targeted on clear vitality very early on.”
The polysilicon produced in China, and specifically Xinjiang, has additionally been within the crosshairs of regulators lately. In america, shipments of photo voltaic panels have been caught on the border, as US Customs officers detain them on suspicion of getting been made with polysilicon tainted with compelled labor. The scenario has left photo voltaic corporations ready many months for modules, and the US photo voltaic market declining, whereas elsewhere on the earth it expanded.
With the latest WACKER deal, and the plans to ramp up factories in Germany to provide its All-Black PV panels, 1KOMMA5° is ensuring this received’t occur to its European or Australian prospects. And these prospects can relaxation simple realizing that their photo voltaic panels are produced in an vitality environment friendly means, and free from compelled labor.
Manufacturing plans
Wanting extra intently on the manufacturing plans of 1KOMMA5°, it’s clear that the corporate is taking a smart method to supplying excessive effectivity photo voltaic panels to its prospects. As a primary step, the All-Black module was developed – which has an effectivity of 21.5% and can include a 25-year producer guarantee.
Secondly, the WACKER “poly” deal will maintain the availability chain clear and guarantee 1KOMMA5°, Pure Photo voltaic and our prospects are doing a superb factor by putting in photo voltaic, but in addition doing the correct factor by making certain the panels on their roof are made in an vitality environment friendly and humane means.
The brains behind 1KOMMA5°, Philipp Schröder, mentioned that whereas the primary batch of manufacturing will happen in partnership with a “tier one” producer in China, that strikes are already underway to relocate manufacturing to Germany.
“We’re in negotiations with contract producers to maneuver manufacturing utterly to Germany with the most recent TOPCon technology,” mentioned Schröder. “The location search has already begun.”
Schröder says that the positioning ought to be chosen by the tip of 2023, with manufacturing starting in late 2024 or early 2025. As an alternative of going it alone, 1KOMMA5° will possible companion with an present German PV panel producer, to leverage their experience on the manufacturing unit flooring.
It’s a simple technique to ship clear advantages for photo voltaic householders. And when coupled with highly effective expertise just like the 1KOMMA5° Heartbeat Power Supervisor, environment friendly, low carbon, and moral All-Black modules will make a compelling proposition to Pure Photo voltaic prospects.
