pv magazine: Together with pv magazine you have announced an Installer Innovation Award. Why?
Jong Wan (JW) Lim: The partnership with our installers is very important to us and we are aware of their role in the PV industry. For the installer every PV system is different. Every time he has to overcome new difficulties and thats what the awards is about. Some of those solutions are really clever, but theyre very rarely known to the public. With this award we want to give the installers a platform and the opportunity to present those ideas to a broader audience. As Hanwha Q CELLS, one of the largest PV companies, want to show our connection and passion for the PV industry.
pv magazine: In which area are installers most innovative?
Lim: For example in the integration of storage and heat supply installers again and again find new solutions. But innovations can happen in many ways, like new technologies or new concepts for market penetration. We hardly can set boundaries to new ideas. Out there we have a huge range of creative ideas, which should be presented to the world.
pv magazine: What is an innovation for you?
pv magazine and Hanwha Q CELLS to award the "Installation Innovation Award – Europe"
We are looking for the most innovative European installer or solar engineers with the most inventive projects and freshest ideas for getting PV ready for the future.
Apply now and win a trip for two to Korea
The application deadline has been extended to June 8.
Lim: Innovations always happen when you cant solve a certain problems with the currently available tools and you have to find new solutions which of course have to be profitable as well. During the last years the integration of PV to optimize your self-consumption or the combination with other forms of energy like heat comes to mind.
pv magazine: Which innovations from the past left the biggest imprint on you?
Lim: It was quite interesting how installers managed to reduce their cost without losing on the quality side. Especially if you think about the cost of a PV system a couple of years ago and the share of installation cost. In combination with cost reduction at the component side the installers have optimized their workflows. We are very proud that we can help to make PV more competitive with our Q CELLS products. Just think about the improvements of efficiencies and power classes. Here you can see the change in the market and we are always looking for innovative ideas and to bring them to market. The best example is our proprietary Q.ANTUM technology which combines a rear side passivation of the solar cell with additional technological features to optimize the efficiency and performance of PV cells and modules and reduce the LCOE (levelized cost of electricity) of solar energy.
pv magazine: What are the next steps for the installers and planners who have been chosen by pv magazine for the top-group?
Lim: All finalists get the opportunity to present their ideas and concepts in pv magazine, which is a huge chance for installers and planners. More publicity comes from presenting their concepts at the Hanwha Q CELLS booth at the Intersolar. At the trade fair and online the audience can vote for the best innovation. The winner receives a trip for two to South Korea, with sightseeing and a visit at our headquarters in Seoul and manufacturing sites.
pv magazine: For many South Korea is not well known. Is there anything you can recommend?
Lim: South Korea is a booming country in which a growing industry meets a centuries-old tradition and wonderful nature. Most fascinating of course is Seoul, a vibrant city which truly never sleeps and which offers endless possibilities. There the winner can experience the strong presence of the Hanwha Group and our passion for the PV industry. Our recently inaugurated cell and module manufacturing in South Korea is one of the newest factories in the industry and surely quite interesting for any industry expert. It allows us not only to reach lowest cost, but also to produce at high quality. Jeju Island is the place to relax and enjoy a small paradise.
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