Solar energy has been growing in recent years in Brazil. According to data from ABSOLAR (Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy), the sector has already brought, since 2012, around R$ 45 billion in investments to the country and generated more than 245 thousand jobs. As interest in installing systems increases, the number of consumers seeking to surf this sustainable wave also grows.
However, to be successful in this area, it is necessary to pay attention to the distribution companies – whether they are properly qualified to work with this technology. “Based on the principle that it is necessary to have qualifications and expertise – a properly specialized technical team, therefore – the integrator must be aware of the options in relation to suppliers and select the one that best suits its proposal: quality, price, and cost-benefit ratio”, said Francis Polo, CEO of Polo Engenharia Elétrica & Fotovoltaica.
“It is essential to deliver what is promised, and, in this sense, you cannot be too careful, otherwise the company will not last,” he added.
According to the executive, the basics are to check how long the supplier has been on the market, seek references from other integrators – a solid partnership is essential – know the product portfolio, certifications, efficiency and useful life of the equipment (from panels to inverters ), as well as the guarantees offered.
“All of this can vary greatly from one supplier to another and tends to make a difference in the integrator’s positioning. Imagine if you install a system and the supplier suddenly leaves the sector or does not fulfill the warranty, who does the integrator turn to, how do you get out of this mess?”, he asked.
At Polo, for example, he mentions that the company defined from the beginning that they would work with personalized solutions. “To this end, we looked for a supplier that fit the aforementioned criteria, in addition to having a range of products that would allow us to develop specific projects for each client’s needs, whether centralized or distributed generation,” he concluded.
Engineer Cirano Shibuya, director of Inca Solar, also gave some tips for those looking to find reliable distributors, especially after being a victim of Raika, a company located in Brusque (SC), accused of not delivering the goods within the established deadline. “They did not deliver three panels and a roof structure that we requested until today, with the deadline being the beginning of January this year,” he reported.
“Therefore, it is interesting to consult Reclame Aqui and see what they are saying about the distributor you are purchasing, especially if the complaints have been addressed”, he emphasized. “Another interesting place is Google Maps. By entering the address, it is possible to observe the evaluations made by third parties. Be more careful when checking negative comments, after all, the company itself can ask friends to evaluate it positively”, he concluded.
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Danilo Yasunaka, owner-partner of Sunlight Energia Solar, shares this premise and also highlighted that since opening his company he decided that he would only work with market-leading brands.
“I say it's a complicated situation, sometimes, looking a lot for price. Unfortunately, there are several people who work solely on costs, but this could cost their company”, he reported.
“So, due to the experience I have, which is still little, two years, it is an experience that made me make the decision, when I opened Sunlight, to work only with the best so that we have warranty issues”, he concluded. Yasunaka.
Essential factors when choosing a distributor
According to research carried out by Greener, price competitiveness, as well as brand and quality of equipment, were the factors that integrators considered essential when choosing a distributor.
“The issue of logistics and delivery times are also important. But the service may be the difference, such as possible technical support needs”, commented Márcio Takata, director of the consultancy.
“People pay a lot of attention to price, but efficient service, both in sales and after-sales, is essential for integrated companies. For me, the choice has to go beyond the value offered. Many will present us with a low cost, however I think there are other important attributes when choosing the ideal distributor”, added Takata.
Legal analysis
Lawyer Frederico Boschin made an analysis, from a legal point of view, on the topic and highlighted the establishment of partnerships to guarantee a link of reliability between the integrator and the distribution company to avoid future problems.
“In general terms, it is important to recap that the supplier is any natural or legal person, public or private, national or foreign, as well as depersonalized entities, which carry out production, assembly, creation, construction, transformation activities, etc.”, he pointed out.
“Therefore, the responsibility towards the end consumer lies with the supplier or service provider, considering that, as we have seen, he is the person responsible for the exploration of the economic activity and the subject of rights and obligations before the consumer market. As such, you will be held responsible if you do not observe the rights mentioned in the consumer code. However, the manufacturer is also responsible for the quality and consequences of the products it places in the sector for consumption”, explained Boschin.
In this sense, he reported that the content of the art. 18 of the Consumer Protection Code, both the supplier and the product manufacturer are responsible for any damages caused to consumers purchasing the equipment. “In this case, it is up to them to choose who to sue against, as it is a case of joint and several liability.”
“As solar equipment is a highly relevant investment with a long life cycle, it is absolutely essential to form equally long-term partnerships with distributors, importers and manufacturers, as the chain of responsibilities towards the consumer may incur responsibility for the integrator”, clarified.
That said, the specialist believes that it is essential for photovoltaic systems integrators to establish partnerships, where after-sales is satisfactory to the customer and the commercial arrangement guarantees the correct addressing of possible product quality problems.
“Even if the direct sale of equipment from the distributor to the end customer is considered, with the integrator only being responsible for the design and installation, it is up to him to monitor the project and be responsible for any errors”, he emphasized.
Another relevant aspect pointed out by the lawyer is the choice of distributors with stock to cover events involving rapid replacement of defective equipment, as well as those that maintain official product distribution agreements with manufacturers.
“These issues indicate the manufacturer’s presence in Brazil. Another point is to check the financial reliability of the distributor, since any cash mismatch (in the case of direct sales) can represent an unfavorable event for the integrator towards the end consumer, whether financially or in terms of its commercial reputation”, analyzed Frederico Boschin.
“The integrator guarantees the fairness of the purchase and the quality of the equipment, given that these aspects are not always under the control of the integrator. So, only a long-term partnership can guarantee this bond of trust”, he concluded.
