Renusol company focus: new BIPV product range on the horizon

When I met with the recently re-branded Renusol, previously Ubbink Solar, at the end of last month it was clear that the solar mounting systems company would be changing more than its name as it began business in 2010. Meeting with two out of the three company CEOs: Michael Kübsch and Wim Coppens, at the Renusol headquarters in KöIn I was offered an insight into exactly what was in store for the company this year. Many of the changes post Ubbink were what you would expect - the company is now focusing more on the Renusol brand, making an effort to be proactive whilst also presenting itself as a challenger in the PV mounting world.

The most obvious focus for the newly formed Renusol was its product’s suitability for a range of markets. Michael Kübsch, who along with his duties as CEO heads up the product development within the company, demonstrated for me (by using only one hand) how simple the mounting clips are to install. The company clearly prides itself on developing products that are easily mounted by Joe Average – not just qualified PV installers. The installation simplicity did not stop there. Michael also talked me though his experience with Renusol’s customers, and how quite a large portion of them were put-off working with solar mounting systems since the components came packaged separately. For clients that were working with a large installation this meant receiving huge quantities of clips, screws and clamps all dauntingly separate. The manual assembly of these parts could potentially add weeks onto the project timeframe. Renusol now supplies all of its mounting clips pre-assembled. The faith Renusol has in its own products was not only instilled in me through the CEO’s impressive pitch, but also by my noticing that the building across the road displayed a sizable installation of the company’s ConSole 6.2. The roof-mounted system consisting of 100 pieces was mounted in December 2009.

Once I knew a bit more about Renusol -- what it was aiming to achieve, and how it was different from its competitors -- I wanted to find out what the company had planned for the coming year. Of course, the first and most obvious topic of discussion was the German feed-in tariff cuts. I asked how Renusol’s CEOs saw this affecting business once it takes effect on June 1, 2010. While both Michael and Wim displayed the expected amount of uncertainty on subject, the company was sure of one thing - - that the FiT cuts would boost sales in the time leading up to the slicing. This was not just pure optimism on their part; the company was speaking from experience, as it saw a tremendous spike in sales when the first rumors of the French FiT cuts began back in 2009. “This was last October. The requests increased much faster than we could foresee. It was not only a good surprise: we had to struggle with a number of requests that challenged our suppliers, logistics and processing team. This was a state of emergency I am glad we have endured,” said Coppens.

Renusol’s presence in France was obviously a priority based on the figures I was being shown. “When we launched InterSole in 2007, the French market reacted with incomparable enthusiasm. We soon became market leader in building integrated systems, as one of few providers who satisfied the high aesthetic requirements and met all criteria needed to receive the maximum FiT,” said Kübsch.

Kübsch also informed me that InterSole would not qualify for the newly categorized BIPV feed-in tariff–or at least the highest paying one. The definition of BIPV according to the new law implies that the function of watertight surface is fulfilled by the modules and not by a layer underneath them. PV plants built in the country using systems with these characteristics will receive the highest FiT in the world – up to €0.58/kWh.  

In order to react to this new legislation, Renusol is now developing a new BIPV product, one that ticks all of the relevant boxes in France as well as adhering to the company’s emphasis on usability and customer friendliness.

While I was impressed with the company’s speed in responding to the French market’s needs, I was unsure about the success of this product up against more aesthetical options such as 3S Swiss Solar System’s MegaSlate or Dow Chemical’s solar Shingle. However, while these options are far more appealing to the residential market, Renusol would argue that their product is suitable for both residential and commercial installations. I would tend to agree with them on this point, while considering that their ease of integration is a definite bonus in comparison to the more complex installation of ‘tile-like’ solutions. “We address different market segments while offering our customers the freedom to choose their favourite modules instead of being bound by complete solutions,” explained Kübsch.

I had the opportunity after my discussion with Renusol’s CEOs to take a look around the factory floor, and was impressed by what I saw. The company will soon be looking for new premises as the orders are now exceeding the space that they are currently working with. The industrial unit was remarkably ordered with neatly stacked shelves and well structured production lines. However, the tour may have been deceiving considering it took place during lunch time, and both Michael and Wim were honest about the fact that if I was walking around at any other time of day I would have to watch out for speedy forklifts and bustling workers.

My time at Renusol was certainly insightful, as I saw a glimpse into the future for solar mounting systems. It was encouraging to see how a successful solar mounting systems company has grown out of the ashes of the small niche market player that was Ubbink Solar. The company has progressed in five years from simple roof mounted solutions such as the ConSole, to a more market focused integrated option demonstrated by the IntraSole CL. It will now be interesting to watch how Renusol fairs after the German FiT cuts, and also to keep a close eye on the IntraSole CL’s progress in France.