Solar Yaan To Launch 125 kWh Hybrid Inverter, Aims to Set New Benchmark

Indian solar inverter manufacturer Solar Yaan has planned to launch hybrid inverters in the range of 125 kWh. The company told Saur Energy that this is the highest range of hybrid inverters to be made available by any company for the Indian market.

In an exclusive interview with Saur Energy, Manoj Patel, MD and CEO of Solar Yaan, said the move is likely to create new records in this segment, which has already picked up pace and is set to rise exponentially with more policy support.

“Currently, in the market, the highest range of hybrid inverters is usually up to 80 kWh. However, we are now all set to create a new record by launching a 125 kWh hybrid inverter — the first in this range in India,” Patel told Saur Energy.

Under BIS Certification Stage

The latest proposed product is now undergoing BIS certification and is likely to soon enter the market for installations after all approvals are received, the firm said. This segment of hybrid inverters is all set to act as a boon for several Commercial & Industrial (C&I) consumers who want mid-size solar projects connected through hybrid systems, which can ensure planned use of their solar power based on peak demand and Time of Day (ToD) tariffs, to ensure these consumers can maximize their savings with their adoption of solar.

This comes at a time when a majority of solar inverter makers in India have launched hybrid inverters in the last two years to cater to the rise in the new segment of solar products. Patel sees several reasons for the sudden rise of this segment, ranging from government policies to increased demand.

What is Driving the Demand?

“One of the major driving forces behind the sudden spurt in demand for hybrid inverters is the inclusion of hybrid solar inverters under the PM Surya Ghar scheme for the residential rooftop market. Even some states like Rajasthan have mandated the use of hybrid rooftop solar connections to a certain extent in commercial connections to drive its growth. On the other hand, non-solar-friendly policies in some states, which either discourage net metering, among others, have also boosted its demand,” Patel added.

When asked if we can see a dip in the prices of hybrid inverters in the future — which is currently proving to be an impediment to mass adoption — Patel said that prices are set to come down with more mass adoption.

The Cost Factor

“Earlier, string inverters were also expensive. However, with more adoption, the prices came down. The same is likely to happen in India in this segment. We have already seen the prices of lithium coming down from ₹200/kWh to ₹100/kWh in the last two years. More government push through policies and greater adoption could surely herald new growth for the segment,” he said.

When asked what kind of policies could ensure mass adoption of hybrid rooftop connections, he said, “For grid stability, governments need to make storage mandatory to a certain extent in all renewable energy projects. The government can also consider incentives and more support or subsidies for hybrid connections to ensure more people are encouraged to adopt hybrid rooftop solar connections,” the entrepreneur from Gujarat told Saur Energy.

Solar Yaan is now manufacturing hybrid inverters, on-grid inverters, and microinverters to cater to the needs of the booming solar market in the country. On the other hand, the firm is also pushing hard to make its own niche in the microinverter segment. It has also started the production of lithium-ion batteries. The firm is now offering integrated hybrid systems where it can deliver hybrid inverters, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and batteries so that consumers can acquire all major equipment under one umbrella.

Competition from Other Inverter Firms

Although the company is working to make inroads in the hybrid and microinverter segments and claims to be one of the key players in India, it still faces competition from other firms like Luminous, Microtek, Deye, Eastman, Solis, and Sungrow, among others. Most of these companies have recently jumped onto the bandwagon of hybrid and microinverters, making the competition tough for others. Experts believe that the quality, cost, and customer experience of these products across different brands will be crucial for uptake from the customer side.