Base your solar panel range on the choice of a market

For many installers, the choice of the type of solar panel or inverter can be traced back to the relationship with a particular brand or distributor. However, it is wise to take a critical look at your solar panel range . It is good to first determine who your ideal customer is. You can of course choose to try to serve the entire market, but you can also choose to focus solely on a specific segment. Specialize in this segment and become the expert within this market. Consider, for example, commercial roofs, or large PV fields or just the residential market. It is generally easier to be a specialist in one aspect than to try to be good at everything. In addition, it becomes clearer in this way what you stand for as a solar panel installer and what you are good at, you become recognizable as a company. Once it is clear which market you want to serve, it is time to put together your range.

Base your solar panel range on the choice for a customer

You can also divide customers into groups within the chosen market. If you, as an installer, choose to serve the residential market, you can divide this market into 3 different groups. For example, choose a budget package with a polycrystalline solar panel. A package with a Monocrystalline full black solar panel and a premium package with a high-power solar panel, such as bifacial solar panels . You can also specialize yourself even further and only focus on a package with, for example, full black solar panels. The big advantage of this is that you run a higher volume of a certain type of panel and can therefore achieve purchasing advantages.

If you, as an installer, choose to focus and specialize on commercial roofs, you can, for example, opt for a monocrystalline solar panel with a silver frame, because these panels are generally not in view and panels with a silver frame are slightly cheaper. then full black solar panels. So when putting together your solar panel range, take a critical look at your market and your ideal customer.

Which brand of solar panel do I choose?

Once it is clear which customer you want to serve, you can choose a specific brand of solar panel or inverter. In the Netherlands we have various brands of solar panels . The solar panels are offered through distributors, importers and trading companies.

When you buy solar panels, you will see that there is one
There is a big difference in price between the brands. There are a large number of solar panel brands on the market and these are often divided into tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3. This division is based on whether the solar panel manufacturers
be reliable, deliver quality products and be bankable.

Solar panel manufacturers that are bankable are Tier 1 manufacturers. These solar panels often have excellent warranties, can be re-insured and are often used in larger EPC projects.

The most important TIER 1 manufacturers are currently:

Sunpower	Canadian Solar	Hanwha Q Cells
SolarWorld	Trina Solar	JA Solar
Jinko Solar	Solar Frontier	Renesola
First Solar	Panasonic	Sharp
LG Solar	SANYO	REC Solar

Stay informed of new developments

It is really advisable to constantly keep an eye on developments in the solar panel industry. This way your solar panel range remains up to date. We are currently seeing good developments, especially in the high-power segment. Brands such as LG Solar, Panasonic and Sunpower produce solar panels with very high efficiencies and powers. The cost is therefore a lot higher. More and more manufacturers are now entering the market with high efficiencies and powers per m2 and often at a lower cost price. So the market continues to move!