Also your company can purchase solar panels directly in China…
“Discover My Solar Panel Experiences In China
About Cheating Solar Manufacturers,
Unbelievable Quality Problems
And Forwarder Fraud!”
By Dricus de Rooij, Shanghai
Dear reader,
The past 2.5 years I have worked and lived in Shanghai and specialized in solar products that are produced in China.
In the beginning I simply traveled from factory to factory to learn about different technologies and to build a network of contacts amongst the manufacturers in China.
The toughest thing about visiting over 120 solar panel factories in China is not the time away from home, it’s not the traveling or the language barrier…
The toughest thing are the endless diners and the rice wine that need to be drunk during factory visits to gain a factories’ trust. I assure you, Chinese business culture is not always good for your health!
“I Assure You, Chinese Business Culture
Is Not Always Good For Your Health!”
Nowadays I run a company in Shanghai specialized in quality control. Also I manage our own production facility where we design and produce Off-Grid solar systems.
Back to companies that purchase solar panels from China..
Already 2.5 years ago there were companies purchasing solar panels from China on a large scale.
Back then there was few information available about Chinese solar manufacturers, and some companies feared quality issues. Such companies were spreading the word: “We’re not selling Chinese solar panels, as we’re only selling quality solar panels made in Europe”.
I don’t need to explain that the majority of solar cell and solar panel production has moved to China during the past two years and companies that sell solely ‘Europe made’ solar panels are becoming rare.
Also in 2011 Chinese cell and solar panel manufacturers will continue to take market share from European and American competitors.
As a result, in order to compete in nowadays market, many companies purchase directly from a manufacturer in China. It’s a logical step, however it’s also where often the problems start..
“How Manufacturers Sabotage Your Planning”
Solar installation companies often work with close deadlines. This applies to solar installers with residential projects and to pv plant developers with MW projects.
Good planning is especially important when you have an installation team on the payroll or when installation dates are forced by plummeting feed in tariffs, as happened several times during the past years.
From my experience over 80% of importers experience delays, some huge ones, which is usually their own fault.
Common delay causes are transaction times, out-of-stock raw materials, in-land transport China, contracts and more.
Besides planning, warranty is a hot topic and has been the main reason why pv companies initially preferred to purchase European or US made solar panels. However nowadays quite a number of Chinese manufacturers offer solid warranty policies.
It’s important to recognize the manufacturers with good warranty policies and understand how to select them.
“5 Years Warranty? Maybe..”
Pricing is of course the reason to purchase solar panels from China. However it’s interesting to see that many buyers only focus on the lowest price, while there’s more to negotiate on..
Every component of a solar panel is variable in quality. So after you have negotiated for the lowest pricing, why not negotiate for a better product?
>> Click here to receive the E-book “How To Import Solar Panels From China” <<
A better product also means to understand what are the common defects to expect, and perform quality control to make sure that the manufacturer produces solar panels according to your high quality standards.
During quality inspections I’ve witnessed 16% replacement rates at a NYSE listed solar panel manufacturer in China. Even though the majority of shipments only show minor defects, we’re still looking for the first ‘problem-free’ shipment.
“Negotiate on better pricing and…a better product”
Finally the transportation of your goods can be a challenge. I have witnessed problems with freight forwarders that made entire profits simply disappear.
Look in any online or telephone directory under “Freight Forwarders” and you will find hundreds of them. Usually importers randomly select some forwarders from this list, compare their pricing and pick the cheapest option. Another way is to have the pv manufacturer arrange the transport.
Both methods are the start of potential higher costs and trouble.
Your forwarder acts as an agent on behalf of your business and has a lot of power. Therefore I advice to pick a forwarder as if you were picking your business partner. He/she should be on your team.
“Any importer can tell you stories about problems with their forwarder..”
Now I realize by summing up all the trouble that I experienced the past years that I sound as if importing solar panels from China is a risky and nearly impossible thing to do. This is not the case.
In fact I believe that any solar company, small or large, can successfully import solar panels from China. I just hope that by sharing my experiences of helping dozens of companies purchase solar panels from China, you will avoid the pitfalls that come on your way.
What exactly will you receive?
Learn the following by reading my e-book:
 |
Where planning goes wrong. Avoid the points that can slow down your shipments. |
|
How to select the right PV manufacturer |
|
Quality control checks that need to be in place at the solar panel factory |
|
How to negotiate on a better product |
|
What is a solid warranty policy? |
|
How to select the ‘one-out-of-a-million’ forwarder. |
|
How pv manufacturers can cheat on you |
As I like to make this e-book accessible to anyone, you can receive it for the introductory price of USD 17 (or an equivalent in Euros). I reserve the right to raise the price anytime in the near future. The e-book can be downloaded directly in .pdf format.
>> Click here to receive the E-book “How To Import Solar Panels From China <<
100% Satisfaction – 60 Days Money Back
I want you to be 100% satisfied with this e-book.
Therefore I offer a 60 days “Not Satisfied, Money Back” guarantee.
This means I will fully refund you in case you’re for some reasons
not satisfied about the quality of this product.
I can not make it more honest than this!
>> Click here to directly receive the E-book <<
Sunny regards!
Copyright Dricus de Rooij, Xietu Road 2601, 200030, Shanghai, China. Contact me