Australian made solar panels now available through more than 100 retailers

Tindo, Australia’s only solar panel manufacturer, announced this week a significant expansion to its partner network, which has more than doubled over the past year to include around 100 partners nationwide.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Mawson Lakes, Adelaide, Tindo’s solar panels are designed specifically for the harsh conditions found across Australia.

The company announced a customer-focused brand refresh in February in tandem with the launch of the Aussie Summer Heroes Campaign supporting Cancer Council Australia.

As part of a larger strategic pivot, Tindo has also been expanding beyond South Australia with a “major expansion” of its partner network. According to the company’s press announcement on Monday, the company has expanded its partner network of installers and retailers to over 100 nationwide.

“Our vision is to make quality, locally-made renewable technology available across Australia,” said Richard Petterson, CEO of Tindo.

“Our collaboration with industry-leading partners allows us to reach customers across the nation, providing them with the highest quality panels, tailor-made for Australian conditions.

“For us it’s important to ensure that customers have the option of not just reducing their carbon footprint but also getting a high-quality, locally made product.”

Tindo currently boasts the capacity to build 360,000 solar panels each year at its Mawson Lakes manufacturing facility, the equivalent of 150MW.

However, Tindo announced earlier this year plans to build a $100 million gigafactory which would, as the name suggests, increasing the company’s output by 1GW per year. Speaking in January, Petterson suggested that the proposed gigafactory could make up to 1.9 million solar panels a year and could be in production by mid-2025.

“Our business case for the development is based on reasonable estimates,” Petterson told RenewEconomy.

“We’ve done some early, informal work with parties that can support that and they support our estimates for the cost of a factory and land and other things.”

Tindo Solar is looking to capitalise on the significant demand for solar in Australia, paired with federal and state policies designed to establish an Australian renewables manufacturing industry.

“While over one-third of all Australian homes have adopted solar in some capacity, the vast majority of solar panels are imported,” said Petterson this week, who emphasised the need to source solar panels locally and kickstart a domestic renewables manufacturing industry so that the economic benefits of the clean energy transition stay in Australia.

“This is a huge missed opportunity, we need to rely less on imports and focus more on the tech and innovation being manufactured locally that’s able to provide the same, if not better services.”