Launch of Versatile Solar Roof Mounting Solution
Solpod recently launched a new solar roof mounting solution to be marketed through the German solar mounting company Schletter. The innovative and versatile product is suitable for a large range of commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftops. Solpod is proud to be part of an Australian manufacturing base, helping to create Australian jobs and a sustainable economic recovery.
Solpod signed an OEM (original equipment manufacture) agreement with Schletter, a global leader in solar roof mounting solutions. Solpod’s solar roof mounting product offers the solar industry east-west tilt, north facing or flush mount using the same components.
Natailie Filatoff from PV Magazine reports: “The company opted to design its … offering as a fixed, non-relocatable rooftop system to suit any commercial roof, and returned to rooftop assembly but in a streamlined configuration.”
Solpod’s rooftop solar mounting solution, also known as Solpod Mini, will be marketed by Schletter as the Schletter Eco Commercial Tilt (SECT).
Jobs Creation Opportunity through Australian Manufactured Solar Product
“Victoria has created more jobs in renewable energy than any other state thanks to our strong Victorian Renewable Energy Target. It’s exciting that another manufacturer has decided to invest in Victoria,” said Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change.
Sophie Vareth writes in One Step off the Grid that “It is also good news for Australia’s solar industry, which is a world leader in terms of the sheer volume of installations, but – as a recent global report noted – has a severely under-developed manufacturing and supply chain industry behind that impressive rate of rooftop PV uptake.”
The report referred to by Vareth was prepared by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renew Economy noted the findings by IRENA that Australia has a high uptake of solar, but fewer solar jobs. “Australia doesn’t rank in the global top 10 for solar PV jobs, largely because of the complete lack of manufacture and supply chain sub-sectors.”
Manufacturers Monthly reports, “While Australian businesses have been adopting rooftop solar at record levels, customers and industry have been stuck with imported solutions. This changes with the launch of Solpod’s local manufacturing.”
The Schletter SECT product range uses Ullrich Aluminium, a New Zealand-based company with branches throughout Australia.
PV Magazine reports: “Conservative estimates suggest that manufacture of SECT will create 15-20 new jobs at Ullrich in the first year of production, but if Australian installers were to buy only Australian-made mounting systems, Larratt calculates that some 1,200 jobs would be created.”
Endorsement of Australian Innovation in Rooftop Solar
The Managing Director of Schletter Australia said: “With our global leadership and German engineering heritage, Schletter are considered a premium solution within the solar mounting systems space. Our partnership with Solpod on SECT is a wonderful endorsement of Australian innovation and manufacturing and adds real depth to our product portfolio,”
The launch of Solpod’s rooftop solar solution with Shletter is an opportunity for the solar industry to choose to support Australian Made and manufactured products.
Feature Image: James Larratt, Solpod CEO with Solpod Mini