How are the storage units MyReserve Matrix selling?
Detlef Neuhaus: We supplied 4,500 MyReserve command units in 2017. The majority of these were combined with three battery modules, i.e. 6.6 kilowatt hours. These storage units make up more than 50 percent of our sales. The rest is either with two battery modules, i.e. 4.4 kilowatt hours, or significantly larger, i.e. up to 11 kilowatt hours.
You manufacture your batteries at your Frechen site near Cologne. This factory should nearly be reaching full capacity…
You were there and have seen it for yourselves. By now, finding room for the pallets of panels ready for shipping out is like a large-scale game of Tetris. For that reason, our MyReserve command units will be manufactured here in Dresden, as they are more complex than the battery modules.
Is the order situation for storage units as encouraging as for solar panels?
Yes. Here we also saw a nearly two-fold increase. In 2017, we were able to significantly expand our market share: We are now among the top five suppliers. And I think that among these, we achieved the greatest increases in terms of market share in 2017. Unfortunately, there are no independent and verified market statistics for storage, and the figures that are making the rounds can vary quite strongly.
What are your goals in the storage market for 2018?
In the last years, we have been moving ahead step by step, and that is how we intend to go on. The markets in German-speaking countries have been very good for us. Now we are getting started in the UK and are looking to expand in Spain. In the Low Countries, we now only sell glass-glass panels, and are also starting to sell storage units. Scandinavia is also a promising market.
How about Italy and Australia?
A bit difficult until recently. The complicated processes of certification in Italy mean that we have essentially lost a year there. Only this year will we be able to start marketing storage units. DC-connected storage systems require a separate certificate for each inverter, while it is much easier for AC-connected systems. The certification of each inverter takes several weeks. Now we have decided to get started with a few product families where we already have a certification. Also, that regulation is probably about to be changed.
And in Australia?
I think this market is overrated. We have a few people in Australia, but the price struggle among storage manufacturers is very tough there. The large competitors such as BYD and LG directly import their units from Asia and almost exclusively sell based on price. The high-end market segment where we are active is very small – maybe 5,000 to 10,000 units – and that is already covered by a number of storage providers. Any European manufacturers have to ask themselves how much sense there is in shipping solar panels and storage batteries to Australia, and thus also tying up a considerable amount of capital for a considerable amount of time. Furthermore, the environmental aspect, which is important to us, is not insignificant. We are keeping an eye on developments and decide based on that what markets to focus on.
How important are such digital products in marketing storage?
In the last year, we have made a major leap in the functionalities of our energy management system. Two thirds of our Matrix units were set up with it. For utilities, the energy manager is a tool that allows them to analyse the energy flows of their customers and also to interconnect them. For our energy manager we are also planning to bring prices down and will soon release a new version that is less expensive. By doing that, we hope to lower the entry barrier to energy management. (HS)
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Read more on energy storage in Europe:
http://www.pveurope.eu/News/Energy-Storage/Senec-Italy-expands-distribution-of-energy-storage-systems
http://www.pveurope.eu/News/Energy-Storage/UK-distribution-launch-of-MyReserve-Matrix-battery-at-Ecobuild
http://www.pveurope.eu/News/Energy-Storage/Storage-advice-Island-inverters-are-key-to-system-speed
http://www.pveurope.eu/News/Energy-Storage/Installed-lithium-ion-battery-costs-below-USD-200-per-kWh
