Solar Exchange – A New Era in Global Solar Commerce
Clean, renewable energy is the future of humankind and there is a growing demand for climate-friendly technologies and hence a large growth potential for solar energy components. However, several trade obstacles hinder this growth potential.
Buying and selling solar materials and finished goods has several challenges – unlike mature markets, today’s solar market lacks an established infrastructure where buyers and sellers can readily engage to a source, procure and sell products. The implication of the current trading model imposes high operating costs, limited geographical reach, and an inability to penetrate new markets –a critical mandate in today’s rapidly changing and dynamic marketplace. Multi-lingual requirements and operating across time zones add to the challenge, and the lack of price transparency between buyer and seller often burdens cost, keeping prices artificially high.
Using Technology to Remove Market Barriers
Based on years of solar industry experience, Solar Exchange was founded on the notion that by delivering a delivering a cloud-based online trading platform utilizing auctions and powerful Request-for-Quote (RFQ) capabilities, companies across the solar value chain would be able to conveniently and securely source, buy and sell materials and finished goods on a global basis, thereby removing barriers of language, time, geography, and cost, with complete price transparency.
Benefits for Solar Manufacturing Companies
For all manufacturing companies, strategic sourcing is imperative to effectively compete in today’s market. Within the solar industry, Solar Exchange enables supply chain and procurement professionals in manufacturing companies to identify new suppliers, and efficiently source raw materials and components for use in their manufactured products. By using Solar Exchange manufacturing organizations benefit from reduced source-to-procure cycles for faster time to market and lower operating costs; improved supply chain agility to rapidly react to changing market and manufacturing requirements; ability to secure best-parts at best-price for improved margins; and reduction of supply chain risk from sole-source supplier activities.
On the selling side, solar manufacturers can post their finished products online using online auctions on the Solar Exchange platform, resulting in increased market exposure, acceleration of sales velocity, and reduced costs by eliminating the need to establish traditional “brick and mortar” operations in new markets. Solar Exchange also helps to eliminate other market barriers such as language and operating across time zones. As a result, solar manufacturers can reduce the cost of operations and increase product sales, resulting in profitable operations across a global market.
Benefits for Suppliers of Solar Materials and Components
For suppliers within the solar value chain, Solar Exchange extends the ability to reach to solar manufacturing organizations so suppliers can sell raw materials and components through online marketplace auctions, as well as automated Request-for-Quotes (RFQs) activities that buying organizations initiate through the Solar Exchange platform. Benefits include broader market reach that crosses barriers of geographies, language, and time zones resulting in accelerated sales at higher volumes.
Benefits for Installers, EPC and Utility Companies
For organizations seeking suppliers of solar products to facilitate installation on projects from residential to large-scale utility installations, Solar Exchange is the ideal solution to identify new suppliers and obtain the best product, at best price. By using Request-for-Quote (RFQ) capabilities in Solar Exchange, buying organizations can specify purchase requirements such as product, price, location, delivery timing, and technical requirements in the RFQ. The RFQ can be “Open” (available to all Manufactures/Suppliers forbidding), or “Closed” (available only to a select group of specified Manufacturers/Suppliers forbidding). As bids are submitted within the RFQ process, buying organizations can narrow the field of potential suppliers then negotiate contracts for final purchase commitment. Using this powerful capability provided by Solar Exchange, buying organizations can obtain transparent pricing direct from the Manufacturer/Supplier, without the added cost burden of middlemen; accelerate the source-to-procure business cycle; and ultimately, source best product at best price for the buying organization’s project or business needs.
Easy, Safe and Secure
Buying and selling items on Solar Exchange is easy, safe, and secure. Users can easily and rapidly navigate through a wide selection of solar categories and subcategories, and review detailed information about the items product descriptions, technical specifications, images, and information about the seller and their reputation attained based on input from previous transactions.
The objective of Solar Exchange is to provide a rich marketplace and trading capabilities where solar industry buyers and sellers can connect and conduct commerce. Given Solar Exchange is not a party to the transaction, this autonomy delivers a clear and transparent way of doing business for buyers and sellers, ensuring business credibility and building trust factors within the marketplace.
To reduce potential concerns from buying and selling with new trading partners, Solar Exchange offers Escrow services through an integrated partner (Escrow.com) that ensures protection to both buyer and seller in the finality of the transaction settlement.
Take the Next Step
If your organization is looking to reach new markets, accelerate sales, reduce inventory, and source materials and finished goods at lower costs, Solar Exchange offers a solution unlike anything else in the world.
To become a member of the Solar Exchange marketplace, go to www.solarexchange.com and register today.
The future of solar commerce awaits you.