Harvey Norman longs for pole position in solar industry

20/06/2012 - Retailer Harvey Norman is aiming to become a market leader in the domestic solar industry after ordering a large shipment of solar panels.

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United States-based Westinghouse said on Tuesday it had received an order for five megawatts of its Solar Instant Connect solar panel systems from Harvey Norman.

The order represents a significant investment in the green technology, which will result in Westinghouse's shipments in 2012 more than doubling from 2011.

Harvey Norman said the uptake of solar energy in Australia was stronger than in most other parts of the world, with over 830 megawatts sold in the local market in 2011.

"With Australian power pricing continuing to rise, we are continuing to see very strong demand for solar installations," Harvey Norman commercial division franchisee Alan Stephenson said in a statement.

"In addition to supplying kitchen, bathroom items, hot water and air conditioning systems, we have established a solar business, which we believe will be a market leader."

The newly ordered solar panels require Australian certification, and the first shipments to Harvey Norman are expected to begin in late-2012.

Analysts believe the move into solar will have little effect on the company's earnings.

The move by Harvey Norman into solar panels comes despite the federal government's plan to reduce solar rebates on July 1.

Source: AAP

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Have your say...

Pat | 20/06/2012 09:25 1

What a lovely, lovely Aussie man Gerry is. NOT..... Wheres your support for Australian suppliers Gerry. Another example of a businessman who talks the talk and wont walk the walk.

Rhonda | 20/06/2012 12:46 2

And will he employ Australians trained in renewable energy technology to sell and install these imported panels?

Richard | 21/06/2012 20:35 3

I think Gerry will have to buy himself a seat on the CEC board to get this system accredited or he's gonna be dumping 5MW of panels on some foreign market in about a years time

Campbell | 3/07/2012 14:44 4

Fair go, Pat. The majority of "Australian" suppliers source from overseas. We don't have a significant solar panel manufacturing industry here. Gerry is doing what everyone else is doing.

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