Solar Frontier has signed a three-year contract in the double digit megawatt range with HopSol, a Swiss-based photovoltaic solutions firm with market focus in Southern Africa. This first deal including Africa comes at the height of momentum for Solar Frontier in Europe, where several contracts with large and highly reputable solar industry providers have already established a strong pipeline for Solar Frontiers gigawatt-scale capacity.
HopSol provides turnkey solutions for photovoltaic power plants, with leadership expertise in the extreme conditions of desert regions. The company has identified significant potential for grid parity in areas where high energy prices and abundant sunlight make solar energy an ideal alternative.
HopSol has selected Solar Frontiers CIS-based solar panels for their ideal performance characteristics in these conditions, as HopSol focuses on so-called sunbelt countries such as Namibia, Botswana and the Republic of South Africa. Solar Frontiers proprietary CIS technology advantages in desert climates include a lower temperature coefficient compared to crystalline silicon (meaning a smaller loss in conversion efficiency as temperatures increase), a strong frame reinforcement that is tapered to resist sand and dust accumulation, and durable construction assured by high-quality Japanese manufacturing.
"Africa has ideal conditions for solar energy so long as solar energy systems can withstand the extremes of the climate," said Robert Hopperdietzel, Chairman of HopSol AG. "Solar Frontier modules not only deliver high performance and cost efficiency in these challenging conditions but have an additional benefit in being free of cadmium and lead. The combination of our know-how and Solar Frontiers market-leading technology is the foundation for success in Africa."
"The countries of Africas sun belt are especially interesting to us," said Wolfgang Lange, Managing Director, Solar Frontier Europe. "The reason is simply that the durability and reliability of Solar Frontier modules give us an advantage for leadership there, where the market has huge growth potential. Working with HopSol benefits Solar Frontier in terms of knowing both the demands of Africas extreme climates and its markets. Together we will be able to install our ecological and economical CIS modules for a progressive contribution to this continents energy supply."
