Inverter manufacturer Fronius plans to launch its subsidiary with a total of 12 employees working in sales, after-sales (Technical Support, Repair Center) and marketing.
When the company first started its operations in China, Fronius secured a one MW (megawatt) project in Chongming and set up an agency in the country. The next step was to establish a subsidiary.
"We fulfil the requirements of the Chinese market spot on. China has a well-developed market for building-integrated photovoltaics.This is a key area in which we specialise, offering a wide range of products. The core market centres around one MW projects, for which the specification of our inverters is ideally suited," explains Knut Wimberger, managing director of Fronius China.
Fronius has defined clear objectives. The company aims to win a significant share of the market segment for systems up to five MW by 2013. This also means developing an outstanding after-sales network within this timescale. An extensive sales partner network is also planned. This will present a major challenge, given the sheer size of China.
"Achieving business success in China isn't necessarily easy, but more and more project owners are recognising the benefits of Fronius inverters. They are easy to maintain, generate a higher yield due to the MIXTM concept and have low losses, to name but a few. The Chinese appreciate the high quality of our products," explains Knut Wimberger.
The outlook for the Chinese PV market is more than just good. The NDRC (the top economic planning institute in China, the National Development and Reform Commission) plans to develop the BIPV (building integrated photovoltaics) market in its five-year plan, and has earmarked subsidies specifically for rooftop systems.
The effects of this will start to be felt between 2013 and 2015. Li Junfeng, deputy director of the Energy Research Institute of the NDRC, anticipates that the installed capacity will reach 10 GW by 2015 and 50 GW by 2020. China has already exceeded the original projection of 900 MW for 2011, having achieved 1.4 GW by the end of last year.
