The first “Made in Luxembourg” solar panels have rolled off the Solarcells production line, following the schedule drawn up by the joint venture .
After this test phase, the final adjustments will be made before the full production of these solar panels is launched, between now and the beginning of December. , chair of the company’s board of directors, commented: “We’ve already started marketing the panels and almost all of December’s production has been sold.”
Initially, the SME plans to produce 40,000 panels a year. But the pace should pick up next spring, with 100,000 units a year and then, in the longer term, 200,000 units (the maximum capacity of the current installations).
“Our business model is atypical because we sell a top-of-the-range product,” explained the managing director. In addition to local manufacturing, the company emphasises the five checks it carries out throughout the production chain, as well as the partnerships it has established to market its products. General Technic and Marco Zenner have been selected for this, while the manufacturer has also undertaken to train and certify around 50 installation companies in the country.
Local roots
The SME has also teamed up with No Nail Boxes, which has designed a made-to-measure box capable of holding around 20 panels. What’s so special about it? It can be folded up and reused.
Solarcells intends to market its products exclusively in the grand duchy, where 500,000 panels are installed every year. The director of Solarcells, Michel Thein, dismisses the risk of market saturation: “The panels bought 10 or 15 years ago by early adopters are now half as efficient as our panels. So there is a market for renewal.”
With an advertised output of 420 watts/peak and a guarantee that varies from 10 years (up to 90% of capacity) to 25 years (up to 80% of capacity), Solarcells aims to stand out from cheaper competitors from, for instance, Asia.
A Luxembourg panel is sold for around €320 excluding VAT, twice as much as such a competitor. “But in terms of price per watt/peak, we are slightly above the level of the Asians,” says Marc Thein.
A Luxembourg celebrity as ambassador
Five employees should be working on the production line set up this autumn in Hollerich. The site is expected to operate until at least 2030. But the development of a vast land project in the area could force the company to move elsewhere. The company says it has the support of the economy ministry for this future relocation.
The production of a panel takes 15 to 20 minutes and is fairly automated, according to the managing director. His ambition is to increase the company’s local presence by sourcing components from Europe rather than Asia. Marc Thein has also announced that he has recruited a Luxembourg celebrity to promote the brand.
This article in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.