1. How has the year 2020 shaped up for Krannich Solar overall? What have been the prime learnings?
Ans. Despite the pandemic, 2020 proved as a year of development for Krannich India in terms of sales and operations. Entire world is facing the challenge of pandemic today and it has given a lot of lessons to learn and implement the same in practise. We saw many layoffs in terms of human resources which should not be done and the main lesson we learnt was to trust and retain the employees. There were other factors too like currency fluctuation, imposition of BCD etc. which created an unnecessary confusion in the market.
2. Krannich Solar offers a range of Solar Panel products. Please tell us the key highlights of these products.
Ans. We offer a wide range of products that confirm to highest global standards and carry a host of national and international quality certifications.
Krannich India portfolio diversifies the product into different categories like Poly, Poly Perc and Mono Perc to give our customers a versatile option from cost effective to premium brands. Our portfolio meets the demand of customers as in Tier 1 modules it offers high quality and bankable modules from Trina Solar, JA Solar which offers the standard warranty, while we do have high class products from our global partner Axitec and Luxor which offers 15 years product warranty. We do offer our residential solutions to customers by offering them DCR and non DCR modules from our module partner Solarium, a make in India initiative which is the only brand in India to offer a unique 16 years product warranty.
3. You have a worldwide presence. Can you tell our readers more about your global presence and what other markets you are tapping in?
Ans. Krannich Solar has been a specialist in terms of distribution for photovoltaics since its foundation in Germany 25 years ago. This means we offer photovoltaic installers everything they need for a successful business: sound advice, effective logistics and one of the world’s leading product and system ranges for solar power generation.
The first foreign branch was established in Spain in 2004. There are now 25 branches in 23 countries worldwide. Since last year, Krannich Solar has represented South Africa, Singapore and Brazil. Branches are currently being established in Poland and Romania.
As a distributor, Krannich Solar is interested in those markets in which a large number of PV systems for residential and commercial use can be built due to the legal framework conditions. In other words, PV systems, including those up to 1 MWp in size, which are sold via the installer, who in turn buys them from the distributor.
4. According to you, what are the main challenges the Indian solar industry is currently facing and where do you see the future of the Indian PV market?
Ans. Indian PV industry is majorly dependent on China. There is a huge demand in the market however, due to insufficient supply of PV cells and modules we cannot meet the demand. Instability and uncertainty in govt regulations and policies is the major challenge for all the players including manufacturers, distributors and EPCs. For example, in some states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan, the solar policies are not in favour of EPCs therefore they landed up compromising on quality to complete the project which will create a major service issue 4-5 years down the line.
The market is almost back to its feet after the COVID – 19 set-back and the mood is upbeat as the industry heads to 2021. According to IEA, the latest report, the global renewable energy demand will grow by 10% in 2021. India would be the largest contributor to it. No doubt that Indian PV market will keep on increasing as many auctioned projects PGVCL, GEDA and RRECL etc. are expected to become operational in 2021 which will lead to growth in future.
5. As a player that is very strong globally in the solar distribution, what are the absolute pre-requisites to grow in a market?
Ans. Krannich is the only distributor in the world who has a maximum number of branches in the different countries, as well there is no rocket science behind it. We follow a very simple policy to trust our suppliers and customers as the product that we choose is very important in terms of quality and economical viability to meet the demands of the customer. Once you have this understanding of what market needs, then there are very less chances to fail!
6. We have heard that Krannich is switching between the brands very frequently. What is your stand on that?
Ans. Quality is our primary concern to deliver whether in terms of products or our services. Everything that’s adopted in our portfolio is tested carefully beforehand. We not only buy high-quality and effective photovoltaic solutions but also have random samples undergo strict quality testing. We work closely with manufacturers as well as research institutes. In the past we faced some complaints related to quality which somewhere affects our values and mission of delivering quality. Therefore, we had to take some strict actions to maintain the trust of our customer.
7. Lastly, what in your view is the biggest strength of your company in the solar industry?
Ans. We are known for our high-end quality and effective logistics which is our biggest strength. Our specialised sales team in different states with 5 warehouses makes us reach our customers very quickly.
We believe in delivering rewarding experience in terms of products and services. Apart from regular quality checks during procurement, we also ensure that the right product fits into customers’ requirements. Therefore, we have our specialised technical team supporting EPCs in Project design, development, technical planning and solar generation report. All this makes us stand ahead of the competition.
