Trina Solar launches India’s first PV residential kit

From pv magazine India

TrinaHome is India’s first ‘all-in-one’ solar residential solution. The kit includes all the required solar rooftop components – modules, inverter, grid box and mounting system – and is backed by Trina Solar warranties, including a 25-year module performance warranty.

It is available in variations of 3 kW, 5 kW and 10 kW, with different mounting systems for different roof-types, and also has a dedicated app through which customers can monitor power generation.

The final price has not, yet, been announced.

While the kit is currently imported from China, Trina says it is in the process of identifying and approving local component suppliers, with the goal of assembling it in India in the next four to six months.

Speaking to pv magazine at the launch, Mr. Yin Rong Fang, President, Global Sales, and Overseas Commercial and Residential Solutions, Trina Solar said, “India is Trina Solar’s second largest market in Asia Pacific and the third largest in the world. We entered India in 2010, and so far have cumulatively supplied 3.5 GW. That is nearly 15% of the country’s total solar modules and panels. In 2017 alone, we supplied 1 GW, which was a 10% YoY increase from 2016.”

He added that while Trina has, to date, been active in India’s large-scale utility and commercial solar sectors, today’s launch marks its entry into the household and small and medium enterprises (SME) sector. Here, the company aims to capture 5-8% of the country’s total residential solar market.

Gaurav Mathur, Director, Trina Solar India, further told pv magazine that the company has developed a nationwide customer service network, and trained and certified installers. “So far, we have trained about 350 installers in India and the numbers are increasing as we speak,” he said.

Launched in August 2017, TrinaHome is currently available in China, Asia Pacific/Middle East/Africa (APMEA geographical region). The company aims to provide its residential PV systems to one million households in five years. So far, it has touched the 180,000 mark.

Answering questions about its plans to set up a manufacturing plant in India, Mr. Fang said that “the company is waiting for right policies so that manufacturing locally becomes more economically viable.” In 2015, Trina Solar confirmed to pv magazine that it had signed a framework agreement with a partner in India to develop a 2 GW solar cell and module manufacturing facility in the country. The plans were, however, later put on hold, following a feasibility study.

This February, it confirmed it was invited by the Pakistani Government to set up solar PV manufacturing facilities in Pakistan. According to Radio Pakistan, Gao thanked the Prime Minister and said Trina would “seriously consider establishment of local manufacturing solar panels’ plant.” A Trina spokesperson told pv magazine at the time, however, that there were no other details available.