DPW Solar celebrates 20 years in the “young” solar business.
The first solar cell may have been patented almost 70 years ago, but the real growth of the solar industry didn’t happen until the last two decades. Growth has been encouraged by decreasing panel prices, which today hangs around $0.75/watt, a big drop from $75/watt in the 1970s.
Two entrepreneurs anticipated the potential growth in the industry and partnered to take advantage of an open market. Kevin Goodreau and Jeff Randall formed Direct Power and Water in 1993 (now DPW Solar) and set up shop in Albuquerque, N.M., manufacturing small mounting systems. Goodreau, today DPW Solar’s vice president of business development, and Randall, vice president of product development, believed they could provide better solutions for the industry than what was available at the time. Twenty years later, the solar mounting market isn’t as empty as it used to be. Walk through any solar exhibit hall and you’ll easily pass at least 30 mounting companies. But DPW Solar considers its early start in the industry as a significant advantage over the competition.
“DPW Solar has been around for 20 years in the solar industry so that makes us ancient,” jokes John Markiewicz, general manager. “This industry is so new. Many racking companies are unable to claim five or 10 years of industry experience, let alone 20.
“Our 20 years in the industry points to the reliability of our products,” he continues. “We’ve supplied racking systems that continue to outperform harsh environments for upwards of 20 years. Our longevity is also an indication of DPW Solar’s focus on customer service and support. Suppliers that add value and solve problems are counted on most by customers.”
First known as Direct Power and Water, DPW Solar started small in the early ’90s in Albuquerque, N.M.
PRODUCT EVOLUTION
DPW Solar manufactures flat and sloped roof-mounts for both ballasted and penetrating installations, as well as pole mounts and various ground-mount structures including utility-scale systems. Mounting rails are aluminum for corrosion resistance, ease of use and strength. Steel is incorporated in the ground-mount designs typically into the fittings and connection points for additional strength. Stainless steel hardware is offered throughout DPW Solar’s product solutions for increased strength and corrosion resistance.
The company has come to this mix of aluminum, steel and stainless steel through 20 years of product development, engineering and testing. DPW Solar’s engineering team has leveraged previous designs and field experience when developing the next generation of racking solutions.
“Early on, our products were designed primarily for off-grid applications,” Markiewicz says. “These solar systems were small, typically less than 2 kW, and the racks were designed to mount only a few modules. When grid-connected systems emerged, the size of the PV systems exploded, and our products had to evolve as well. Single pole-mounting systems expanded into multi-pole then multi-structure systems. We quickly evolved from small, four- to six-panel flat roof ballasted racks to a third generation commercial roof-mount system that mounts thousands of modules.”
Markiewicz recalls that the sales office used to get excited about a 10-kW system, but today that seems puny. “Now we’re dealing in megawatts!”
“When solar systems were much smaller, installers were not as concerned with part count or assembly time,” he says. “Now when preparing to install a multi-megawatt ground-mount system, the racking design and manufacturing have a major impact on project costs. DPW Solar now offers site-specific engineered systems and pre-assembly in our factories to help the installers keep costs down and complete projects on time.”
Preformed Line Products (PLP), a designer and manufacturer of cable anchoring and control hardware and systems for multiple industries (including solar) headquartered outside of Cleveland, took notice of DPW Solar’s steady growth in the solar industry and acquired the company in 2007. Of PLP’s 14 international subsidiaries spanning across six continents, eight are now active with solar programs. Not only has DPW Solar seen a successful 20-year run in North America, the company now has a global presence.
“Our mounting solutions have been installed coast to coast and globally,” Markiewicz says. “We also offer customers one of the broadest product offerings in the industry. One reason is because over the last 20 years, we continued to develop new products and solve problems as the market evolved.”
NEW AVENUES
Markiewicz says the future of solar mounting lies in ease of installation and pre-assembled solutions.
“I see the trend of more pre-engineered and integrated solutions [expanding],” Markiewicz says. “We’re performing more pre-assembly in our manufacturing facility. It does create additional challenges because it’s no longer a standardized product. But customers benefit with a lower installed cost.”
DPW Solar and Baja Construction recently partnered on the new SR Series solar-ready shade structure, using both companies’ construction and manufacturing expertise.
One of DPW Solar’s major pre-engineered solutions for the future comes in a partnership with Baja Construction, a carport and solar support manufacturer. At this year’s Intersolar show in San Francisco, the pair introduced the SR Series solar-ready shade structure. Baja Construction provides the structures and installation, and DPW Solar provides its Power Rail mounting system fully integrated into the structure.
The two companies had initially collaborated on a multi-megawatt project in New York. DPW Solar bid its mounting solution and Baja bid its shade structure. Both won the project, so they got together and optimized Baja’s shade structure with the DPW Solar mounting solution.
“That project gave us the idea that the industry would benefit from a pre-engineered shade structure and module mounting system solution,” Markiewicz says. “This solar ready shade structure comes complete with the DPW Solar rail mounting system. It’s a proven mounting system, and it’s integrated directly into Baja’s field-proven shade structures.”
The SR Series from Baja and DPW is delivered to the customer ready for module hook-up. This easy partnership between the companies provides an even easier experience for the end-customer.
“The solar industry is like the Wild West,” Markiewicz says. “Companies are trying different strategies and this industry is evolving quickly. We see the benefit of partnering because it provides an added value to the customer, providing a one-stop source and solutions that work well together.”
STILL THRIVING
Twenty years in this business is truly a milestone, and DPW Solar is grateful for the customer relationships that have grown over the years. Markiewicz cites the long-lasting relationships DPW Solar has established with customers and distributors as the real answer to its success.
“We focus on differentiating our company in this overcrowded market with our engineering support, customer service, field-proven designs and manufacturing capabilities,” he says. “We continue to do business with many of the same customers today that started with us long ago. We’ve helped each other out throughout the years and have grown together, which we deeply appreciate.”
Cheers to 20 successful years, DPW Solar, and to many more in the ever-evolving solar business.
[source: http://www.solarbuildermag.com/featured/dpw-solar-20-years/]
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