The Australian solar industry is one of the few industries that hasn’t had to rely on overseas products. Despite the impact of Covid-19 on imports, manufacturing in the solar industry has been flourishing.

Solar Mounting company Clenergy and local manufacturer Capral Aluminum recently partnered to produce a locally manufactured aluminum solar mounting rail known as the ‘Cutter Rail’.

The following Q&A for Australian Manufacturing News www.australianmanufacturingnews.com has been answered by Sean Guzzi, National Channel Manager at Clenergy and Peter Darvell, General Manager South West Region at Capral Aluminium.

What’s the current state of the solar industry and how do you see this growing in the future?

Sean Guzzi: “Solar panels are getting larger and more efficient every day. From 2010, the dimensions of a solar panel were 1580 x 808mm (1.28m²), and today in 2020 it is about 1956 x 992mm (1.94m²), which is almost double in size.

“As solar panels grow, the rails to mount the panel also have to grow. Just like a frame is to a painting, solar mounting equipment is to the solar panel. The mounting equipment aids to fasten the solar to the roof or the ground, using either the roof battens (which is the main structure of the house), concrete, or even ground screws, and provides enhanced aesthetics to the final solar project.

” As the solar panels adapt to the market with the desire for bigger solar systems, we at Clenergy adjust and grow to fit this new environment.”

How does manufacturing locally help the industry?

Sean Guzzi: “Clenergy was founded in 2007, and back then we predicted to be competitive within the market, we had to manufacture our products overseas.

“Today, thirteen years later, we offer a locally made mounting structure, which is a first for the Australian solar industry. This helps on many accounts, primarily it aids the local economy by keeping Aussie jobs and provides Australian homes an option to buy a locally made product.

“With breakdowns in the international supply chains, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of local manufacturing and has reinforced decisions in manufacturing locally.

“From the retail and installers perspective, they receive faster delivery times across all states. Additionally, what we have sourced in terms of feedback is that local installers have a deeper sense of genuine pride when they install Clenergy knowing that our Cutter-Rail is now Australian-Made.”

How are you finding the current business conditions? Has the business been impacted by Covid-19?

Sean Guzzi: “The renewable energy sector, especially solar installations have thrived through during this pandemic in lockdown. As a result, Australia has seen a spike in residential solar installations.

” We foresee the residential market in Australia wanting more independence for their energy needs and solar is here to provide it. At Clenergy we are starting to see a larger uptake of our locally made product.”

Peter Darvell: “We experienced a negative impact on sales in March and April period. Energy use across the average household is increasing, with more people working from home since March due to Covid-19. And hence, the volume has picked up in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2020 as the local support for Australian-made material is growing.

“This support being particularly evident in the residential and commercial markets. Short lead times on the delivery of product, compared to the unreliability of imports with port strikes and interstate logistics issues, are becoming even more prevalent.”

In response to the Australian Budget, how do you see the budget for manufacturing moving forward?

Peter Darvell: “As the Government attempts to stimulate the country, initiatives in housing support, transport and infrastructure incentives and the desire to have manufacturing grow, are all very positive. Recent announcements could well underpin significant manufacturing growth in late 2020 and into 2021.”

What other assistance can Government provide in the current circumstances?

Peter Darvell: “Stimulus and leadership are the key for the Government moving into the future, as is the insistence on a Quality Endorsed fit for purpose Building and Construction Industry.

” Standards must be enforced and so called “equivalent products” which need to be fully inspected and assure the market that they in fact meet the preferred industry specifications.”

Does local manufacturing give you the confidence to go fully into the export market?

Sean Guzzi: “At Clenergy our biggest market and demand centre is Australia, New Zealand, and the other pacific islands. We aim to cater to this geographic area as we are seeing a larger uptake for the locally made Cutter-Rail will across the region.”

Finally, do you see a bright future?

Sean Guzzi: “At Clenergy we believe that local manufacturing and spreading the message for a sustainable future is going to keep the future of the business very bright.

“We expect to maintain our status as the number one manufacturer and supplier of solar mounting equipment in Australia, now with the additional aid of the locally made Cutter-Rail.”

Peter Darvell: “At Capral Aluminium, we have been manufacturing in Australia since 1936, and in many ways, our future has never looked brighter. Customers seek our specified products and rely on our transport and industry capabilities.

“They are encouraging us to further develop our industrial, residential and commercial systems to meet the requirements of today’s and tomorrow’s marketplace. They know they can rely on our reliability and modern approach in meeting their needs.”