Kingspan Thermomax – the world's leading vacuum tube now available in South Africa
Kingspan Renewables is further expanding its presence worldwide by teaming up with Green Power, a dynamic South African based company.
Kingspan Renewables identified a gap in the South African market for quality solar products and installations. The availability of Government incentives reassured them that the South African solar market has vast potential. With the support of an Invest NI trade mission to the country, they were able to take advantage of this opportunity by meeting with potential partners, which included Green Power.
Kingspan Renewables flagship product Thermomax HP200 was particularly interesting to Green Power. The Thermomax HP200 collector is unique in the solar thermal market. This is due to a temperature limitation device, which prevents the collector from overheating; a necessary feature for the South African climate. When installed by an accredited installer the vacuum tubes also carry a warranty of 20 years.
Alistair Davis, Sales and Marketing Director, Green Power said, "At last there exists a vacuum tube that cannot overheat with an expected lifetime of 25 years. We are confident that the Thermomax product, coupled with high quality installation by our experienced teams, will stand the test of time and renew confidence in a market that is sometimes dominated by poor quality and short product lifetime."
"Kingspan Renewables have sold over 10 million of their european-made vacuum tubes worldwide. Their project references include installations at the Pentagon and NASA, as well as the largest solar thermal installation in Asia at Changi International Airport in Singapore. Green Power is excited to partner with Kingspan Solar in South Africa and add to their portfolio of high quality installations worldwide."
The Thermomax HP200 is estimated to save up to 80% on all domestic hot water bills. With a year on year increase of up to 30% in electricity costs by the local South African electricity supplier ESKOM, the partnership between Green Power and Kingspan Renewables is welcomed by businesses and homeowners, who are seeking a more cost effective way of heating their water.
Catherine Raghfar, Sales Export Executive, Kingspan Renewables said, "For the last few years we have been strategically developing our key markets from a global perspective. South Africa has been a work in progress since 2008. The right partner and the right timing were essential for market entry."
"Renewables technologies, and in particular solar solutions, are a growing trend in South Africa. Green Power, based in Cape Town Johannesburg and George, has the ability to turn projects around quickly and at the highest standard. Solar technology in South Africa has suffered from a bad reputation in the past due to poor quality products and installations. Green Power has set itself apart as a high quality partner with a young dynamic team committed to the development of the market – the perfect fit for our worldwide business model."
"Starting in March this year, Kingspan Renewables will provide training to Green Power's technical design engineers as well as representatives from their installation teams, based in Johannesburg, Cape Town and the Garden Route. Government rebates have now made solar thermal technology more accessible in South Africa; however the life time of systems available to date has been very short. A Kingspan Thermomax system, with an expected lifetime of 25 years, installed by Green Power should now inspire confidence in the market."
Green Power plan to expand their share of the domestic solar market, whilst also entering the commercial sector. They have recently completed their first commercial installation of Thermomax HP200 collectors to provide hot water for a swimming pool. South Africa is known as the gateway to Africa and Green Power already has an international office in Namibia, further extending their reach. Kingspan Renewables is looking forward to working with Green Power during these exciting times.
Entering into the South African market is simply another step in expanding Kingspan Renewables' global reach.
In continuing to fulfil their global portfolio Kingspan Renewables has recently installed the world's first continuous 150 tube collector, operational on a factory chimney in Germany.
In addition to this, Varisol is currently the leading product for Kingspan Renewables expansion into the Chinese market. Kingspan Renewables is a world leader in the solar industry. In a market that is saturated with poor quality products, Varisol has proved to be a huge success.
