Capacitor Technologies (CapTech), a subsidiary of diversified renewable energy company, CBD Energy Limited (CBD), is to begin manufacture of solar inverters in Australia. They are to be made under licence from German electronics company, Oelmaier Elektronik. This will make CapTech Australia’s first manufacturer of inverters.
Initial production is planned to be at the rate of 20,000 units a year which, when achieved, would generate around $20 million in revenue, a significant boost to current annual revenue of CapTech of approximately $6 million. Manufacturing of inverters is planned to commence in July, creating 20 new full time jobs.
Inverters take the direct current captured by photovoltaic modules and convert it with maximum efficiency into alternating current and feed it into the supply network. At present there is a world wide shortage of inverters due to the expanding solar industry, with inverters being a critical component in taking solar energy into the electricity grid.
CapTech already has orders as a result of this shortage, from within the CBD group and from external customers in the industry in Australia. For more than 20 years the Oelmaier Group has been involved in the development and production of innovative electronics and software for reliable use in the solar industry.
Oelmaier’s systems are of compact design, easy to use and have a reputation for reliability.
CapTech intends to source most of the inverter components from the local region, including through CBD’s office in China, and assemble the products in Melbourne, relying on the Oelmaier software to achieve brand quality. CapTech will have several of its technical staff commence training with Oelmaier as part of the lead up to manufacturing.
According to CBD Managing Director, Mr Gerry McGowan, the CapTech initiative had come from a fortunate combination of CBD’s business contacts in Germany and the diverse capability of the CapTech electricity efficiency business. “It is also an example of the January purchase of eco Kinetics benefiting the entire CBD Group since a large part of the output will be sold to eco Kinetics customers,” Mr McGowan said. “Having inverters readily available will enable eco-Kinetics to expand its solar installation business with confidence,” Mr McGowan added. Cost to CBD of implementing inverter manufacturing will be approximately $3 million which CBD will fund from working capital.
Oelmaier Chairman, Mr Wolfgang Oelmaier, said the licensing deal helped expand the international reach of the group into the solar industry. “While the group already has operations in Thailand, India and China, there is growth potential in Australia where it seems logical for solar power to be an increasingly important source of energy,” Mr Oelmaier said.
