PVGroup.pl is a well-established market leader in the manufacture of photovoltaic kits and the distribution of equipment related to solar and heating systems such as heat pumps.
Interview with Wojciech Galeja, Europe Area Director at PV Group Poland.
Easy Engineering: A brief description of the company and its activities.
Wojciech Galeja: It is a group of companies currently serving 26 countries in Europe.
PVGroup has seven years of experience in supplying products for public procurement in various European countries.
In addition, the group provides a professional service to support installers and end users in the use of inverters and heat pumps.
It is the exclusive distributor of TCL brand heat pumps and an authorised distributor of
- Growatt New Energy Technology brand photovoltaic inverters
- K500 mounting construction for flat roofs and ground structures
- Longi Solar photovoltaic panels
- TCL heat pumps and air conditioning
E.E: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
W.G: The company’s activities focus on the supply (production) of complete photovoltaic systems as well as individual components for domestic and industrial installations or photovoltaic farms.
The company has experience in the implementation of devices in Smart Home systems and the operation (control) of inverters on photovoltaic farms by power utilities.
The main focus is on professional customer service and fast and safe delivery of goods.
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
W.G: Product development in the photovoltaic or heat pump industry is very dynamic.
In terms of photovoltaics, we are seeing a clear increase in the performance of photovoltaic (crystalline silicon) panels by the world’s largest manufacturers reaching ever higher panel unit powers of 680W, while the photovoltaic inverter market is modifying to support more and more energy storage systems.
The heat pump market, on the other hand, is forcing manufacturers to increase the efficiency of their equipment while at the same time extending the functionalities by increasing, among other things, the number of independent heating zones, OTA systems and the possibility of cascade connection to serve industrial facilities.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
W.G: The product range of PVGroup’s offering includes:
- Longi Solar panels with outputs of 400/405W (Full Black), 410W (standard with black frame), 495/500W (standard with black frame) and 545/550W (standard and bifacial with silver frame).
- Photovoltaic inverters ranging from 600W (bifacial installations) through the popular 50kW up to 253kW for farm installations.
- Photovoltaic structure for flat roofs in vertical and horizontal versions as well as in south and east-west configurations.
- Heat pumps in SPLIT and MONOBLOK versions with outputs of 4/6/8/10/12/16kW and cascade connection for a maximum output of 128kW.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
W.G: Considering the company’s European operations serving 26 countries , the photovoltaic and heat pump market is different in each country. Some of them are experiencing a boom in the number of photovoltaic installations, while some are seeing a drastic drop in sales. The situation is complicated by the fact that, on the one hand, the PV market is highly regulated from grid companies and government, on the other hand, rising inflation is effectively slowing down the growth of installations. Regardless of the above, the European Union is forcing the growth of photovoltaics by levelling the carbon footprint in the community.
In countries where we see a decline in domestic installations, tenders and projects for industrial and farm installations are beginning to emerge. Thus, it can be concluded that, regardless of the situation in a given country, photovoltaics in every country is experiencing growth – periodically more, periodically less.
The second sector in which PVGroup actively participates, the heat pump market, is currently stagnating. This situation is a direct result of the falling prices of fossil fuels, rising electricity prices and the considerable investment in rebuilding an existing boiler house. On the other hand, in some countries such as Germany and Belgium, government regulations are forcing the installation of heat pumps for new installations, which will result in an increase in installations. Independently, people’s desire to wean themselves off gas and the limited possibilities of connecting new gas installations will cause a further increase in the number of heat pumps being installed in Europe.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
W.G: A general trend seen throughout Europe is the desire for complete energy independence and the desire to reduce electricity or heat bills. Therefore, the symbiosis of photovoltaic systems and heat pumps is the ideal combination to achieve the desired effect. The whole thing looks ideal, but one must bear in mind the increasing load on the electricity grid, which is resulting in massive grid switching of photovoltaic systems. Thus, the trend in most photovoltaic inverter manufacturers is towards operating energy storage facilities to accumulate excess production during the day and use it in the evenings and mornings.
The lack of load on the grid and the clever management of heat production from the heat pump is a trend that makes strong technical and financial sense.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
W.G: Currently, all manufacturers are trying to use artificial intelligence systems to optimise the operation of appliances. These include Smart Home installations learning the lifestyle of users by adjusting the production of thermal energy and increasing the auto-consumption of photovoltaic systems to the maximum level.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2023?
W.G: In 2023, despite the turbulence in the photovoltaic or heat pump markets, PVGroup estimates an increase in sales of around 20% compared to 2022. This is dictated by an increased share of public tender wins and a steadily growing number of trusted installers gaining an increasing share of their markets. In addition, the prospect of rising electricity prices for industry in all European countries will result in increased sales of commercial installations mainly between 20-100kW.