Studer Innotec SA is a Swiss manufacturer of sine wave inverters, inverter/chargers (up to 72kVA) and MPPT solar charge controllers (PV systems up to 105kWp). The company was founded in 1987 by Mr Roland Studer in response to the Swiss market’s need for high-quality power electronics for off‑grid power applications. Studer products quickly gained a reputation for their reliability and robustness, and today 95% of its production is exported and used for a wide range of applications including off-grid, grid back-up, mini-grid, mobile, telecom and industrial applications.

Questions

SC News: Do you remember the first customer your company served? Who and where was it?

Studer Innotec SA : It is actually thanks to this first customer our company was founded. 30 years ago a friend of our founder, Mr Roland Studer, asked for help to install an off-grid solar system for his garden plot near Basel, Switzerland. Seeing the solar charger products available on the market, Mr Studer knew he could do better. And thus, in Mr Studer’s garage, Studer Innotec was born.

SC News: What is your experience: which product, beyond lighting, customers request the most? And which other appliances for Solar-Home-Systems you think should be provided in future?

Studer Innotec SA : In addition to lighting, mobile phone charging and other entertainment (TV, radio…), I would say the next most requested service is refrigeration, requiring a few hundred Watts of power or more. For this scale of Solar-Home installations, Studer provides AC power solutions. Even though there have been tremendous quality and availability improvements for DC loads in the Pico Solar scale, for systems that are able to handle small refrigerators, there are considerable benefits with an AC power solution. Highly efficient and quality AC loads are widely available. And, in the event of future grid extension or connection to a mini-grid, the AC loads can still be used.

SC News: When companies grow, the need for good and reliable staff is big. How do you find your staff?

Studer Innotec SA : We have long term collaborations with the local technical schools and universities continuously providing internships in several departments, as well as collaborating on research projects, which allows us to get to know local talent. Our employees themselves are excellent advocates of the company. Many new employees are found through our own employees’ networks. Our open positions are communicated on our social media networks and on our company website. We always welcome spontaneous job applications.

SC News: What training opportunities do you provide? 

Studer Innotec SA : Studer offers product and after sales service training at our headquarters and factory in Switzerland, as well as abroad at our partners’ facilities and training centres around the world. We have à la carte training opportunities ranging from half a day, to multiple days. Those who can travel to our factory in Switzerland enjoy the opportunity to have a full tour of our R&D and production facilities, as well as the chance to meet more of the Studer team.

SC News: In your view, what are the main challenges in making renewables an affordable easy-to-access energy resource?

Studer Innotec SA : In my opinion, the main challenge to increase the penetration of renewables in existing energy markets and to extend access to electricity, is to increase sales infrastructure. By sales infrastructure I mean for‑profit companies importing and distributing equipment, selling complete systems to end users, and providing after sales technical support to ensure systems last and that solar has a good name in the market. Governments should focus on creating clear, fair, and consistent procedures that allow the renewable energy sector to grow and be sustainable. Studer Innotec works with a world-wide network of distributors actively helping to make renewables the solution for affordable and easy-to-access energy.

Thanks to organizations like Sun-Connect, Studer Innotec, and other market actors can share information and learn from each other to more quickly realise a future with sustainable energy for all.

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Facts and figures

Name of the company: Studer Innotec SA
Founded: 1987
Headquarters based in: Sion, Valais, Switzerland
Business activity: Manufacturer of sine wave inverters, inverter/chargers and MPPT solar charge controllers
Countries/regions of activity: Worldwide presence; Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia, Australia
Number of staff worldwide: 65
Webpage: www.studer-innotec.com
Email contact: info@studer-innotec.com

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