Australia’s only solar photovoltaic panel manufacturer, Tindo Solar is expanding its Adelaide factory after a strong surge in demand as consumers turn to locally sourced products.
The company has begun work on a new building next door to its existing Mawson Lakes plant.
CEO Glenn Morelli is reported to have said that bulldozers were moving earth in preparation for construction of new offices, warehousing and a bigger manufacturing space.
Mr Morelli said: “Our capacity right now is about 60MW a year, and we are hoping to increase that capacity by October.”
The new facility will bring onsite warehousing and logistics operations which will help reduce costs.
Tindo is waiting on news of a federal government grant which would further free up the plant, increasing throughput.
The company is working as normal in light of the COVID-19 pandemic with social distancing well under control.
“The whole factory is automated,” said Mr Morelli.
“There are only about seven people in the whole factory.”
Mr Morelli said the company had been experiencing increased demand since March, with April sales beginning more strongly that March.
“More than ever there has been an upswell in the community that we need to be more self-sufficient.
“We are getting a lot of people coming to us including government departments and agencies.”
Tindo Solar, was bought three years ago by a local insulation company turned solar installer, Cool or Cosy, as part of a plans to create the largest solar retailer in Australia.
Mr Morelli said his long-term vision was to “bring quality Australian made solar to the masses” by combining Tindo with another of his businesses, called Solar Rental Company, which installs rooftop solar under rent-to-buy contracts.
Mawson Lakes factory staff have been at pains to point out the superior product quality of its Tindo Karra panel.
After eight years of production, the company claims failure rates 200 times lower that some of its competitors.
Tindo sits in the market at the mid to upper level, cheaper than the best Korean panels, and more expensive than Chinese.
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