The South African office of KACO new energy GmbH opened in 2013, since when it has recorded an increase in turnover of more than 300 percent annually. To enable further expansion, including beyond national borders, Christoph Heinermann, CEO of KACO new energy Africa (Pty) Ltd., recently entered into a strategic partnership with local manufacturer Microcare. The company, based in Port Elizabeth, produces photovoltaic systems with a focus on battery solutions.
The decision was an easy one for both parties, as the advantages are obvious. The inverters produced by KACO new energy and the projects they manage have the image of “German quality at a good price”. Their market share of projects on commercial roofs, which has now grown to over twelve percent, is also based on this reputation. As a regional company that offers qualified service and trainings, Microcare opens the door to new market segments, and rounds off the range with photovoltaic products and components manufactured in South Africa. This is a key point, as the South African government requires at least 50 percent of products to be locally produced, especially for public projects. In the case of Microcare, the products in question are battery inverters and power storage solutions adapted to the local market standards.
“We carefully evaluated the partnership options, and chose Microcare as the best partner for us,” says Christoph Heinermann. “We see the benefits of this collaboration in further improving our services and in the continued expansion of the “Commercial Roofs” segment, as well as in the Residential sector for the South Africa region. For the rest of the sub-Saharan regions, we want to strengthen our provision of stand-alone photovoltaic systems. In other words, we will offer better access to electricity for villages and farms that are not connected to the power grid, by expediting solar power storage. In doing so, we support the need to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, which are frequently used for power generation in regions remote from the grid.”
Here, KACO new energy is acting in line with the energy suppliers in the region, who turned to renewable energy sources at an early stage, and is getting involved with the development of large-scale PV projects at the regional level. Other countries in Africa have now also turned to regenerative sources of energy, and in particular to solar power.
Heinermann continues: “Through this collaboration with Microcare, we can now cover the entire spectrum of technical solutions and services. We see this new partnership providing great opportunities for both parties and for the spread of solar PV in Africa.”
About Microcare:
Microcare is a South African company established in 1990 in the city of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Microcare has been manufacturing solar components for 26 years with the MD Jimmy Catt having been involved in manufacturing solar electronic components for over 40 years. He heads a dynamic team responsible for being the only South African company to manufacture MPPT Solar Regulators, Pure Sine Wave Bi-Directional Inverters, Grid-Tied Inverters and the unique Grid Tied Limiter on one premises in Port Elizabeth. All products built use the best possible components sourced from suppliers worldwide using the latest cutting-edge technology and development. Microcare offers assistance with system designs and a comprehensive free generic and tailor made solar course to all installers, dealers, agents, and distributors of Microcare products. More at: http://microcare.co.za/
About KACO new energy:
KACO new energy is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of inverters for grid feed-in of solar power. Its product range covers the full power spectrum, from systems designed for a single family home to those for solar parks that produce megawatts of electricity. Since 1999, KACO, based in Neckarsulm, Germany, has supplied inverters with a cumulative power output of nine gigawatts. KACO new energy is the first company in the photovoltaic industry to achieve CO2-neutral production. Our technology offering extends from grid- and battery-connected solar inverters to inverters for combined heat and power plants and concentrator modules, as well as energy storage systems for solar power systems. In 2014 the firm celebrated the 100th birthday of the original parent company that, at the end of the 1930s, was one of first ever inverter manufacturers. More at http://kaco-newenergy.com