Chinese firm that makes solar cleaning robots weighs US assembly

Multifit Solar (众能光伏), a Chinese maker of robots that clean solar panels, may ship part-built robots to the US for assembly with customers there, because of tariffs and other factors, according to a company manager.

At the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, Multifit's foreign-trade manager Li Chuling (李楚玲) told Yicai (第一财经) that North America’s share of the company’s robot exports has fallen to under 15% from 20% because of US tariffs. The company is pushing into Europe instead, through Italy, Spain and France. Asia takes about 45% of its exports, and South America 10% to 15%.

She added that the company’s robot exports are up 200% this year and make up three-quarters of its sales. The robots sell for US$1,500 to US$2,500 on average, and prices have fallen as rivals multiply. The Shantou plant can make about 1,000 a month, she said.

Multifit Solar was founded in 2009. It lists its head office in Beijing and its production base in Shantou, Guangdong, and makes inverters and other solar power equipment as well as cleaning robots. Its website says it exports to more than 50 countries.

Rivals have landed large orders abroad. Leapting, another Chinese maker, said in January it would deploy more than 2,000 of its cleaning robots across Waaree Renewables’ solar projects in India, pv magazine India reported. The three large solar plants are located in Rajasthan, India, with about 1.2 gigawatts peak capacity combined, according to pv magazine India.

Sources: 第一财经 Yicai, pv magazine India (Leapting announcement)

Editor: Ian Lamont