Over 300 international exhibitors are presenting their products and solutions, primarily for residential and commercial applications, in the Greater Expo exhibition hall in Amsterdam until this afternoon. More than 15,000 visitors are expected, most of them from the Netherlands. Especially on the second day of the fair, many installers crowded in front of the stands.
According to Michael Katz, Manager Regional Marketing and Communications at Trina Solar in Munich, one important reason why glass-glass modules are increasingly becoming the standard in the private sector is that, in addition to better durability and environmental performance, the solar glass is lighter. In addition, high-performance modules with N-type cells are becoming increasingly prevalent, as Conny Axel Hulverscheidt from AEG/Solar Solutions also confirmed. There is also a trend towards black-black modules, especially in the Netherlands.
Hans-Christoph Neidlein
Different estimates of price sensitivity
Assessments of the price sensitivity of the Dutch PV market vary. For example, Paulius Kuodis, responsible for Business Development & Sales at Solitek, a Lithuanian manufacturer of glass-glass modules, reported a strong awareness of sustainability and quality in the Netherlands, while Andreas Hoischen, Senior Director Photovoltaic, Inverter BU at Delta Electronics, for example, sees a strong price drive there.
Various exhibitors were largely in agreement that the battery storage market in the Netherlands will pick up strongly in the future despite the - temporary - continuation of net metering. The plan was actually to phase out net metering from 2025 in order to relieve the distribution grids, among other things, but the Senate of Parliament rejected this in February. The main driving factors are the falling storage prices and, according to Hoischen, the use of storage is already worthwhile, particularly in the commercial sector.
Wholesaler support services for installers
"When the storage systems come to the Netherlands, our time will have come," says Jan Paul Dahm, Managing Director of the German wholesaler EWS. On the one hand, he points to the high level of expertise in storage technologies due to the advanced market development in Germany. On the other hand, EWS offers a manufacturer-independent, free planning and communication software QuickPlan as a service for its installers in several languages, which also enables the design and configuration of PV storage systems and closely involves the end customers.
Hans-Christoph Neidlein
Other wholesalers are also focusing heavily on expanding their support services for installers, particularly training courses, as Roelof Kramer, Marketing Manager at VDH Solar and Daan van Lin, International Sales Manager at SolarToday, emphasized.
Solar Solutions Amsterdam started March 19 and will close its doors today (March 21) late afternoon. (hcn - from Amsterdam)
