In 1982 Mr Hart assisted Selectronic Managing Director Ken Scott to develop the company’s first 360 watt square wave inverter, and since then has seen the industry go through many changes, some up, some down. He is now the Sales and Marketing Manager, and a respected figure in the Australian solar sector.

1. Where does your interest in clean energy stem from?

In 1987 I was doing a sales trip to promote our latest range of inverters. Until then inverters were just a job for me. One particular client asked me to stay for lunch at his remote solar-powered home office, and after borrowing my inverter to operate his blender, we sat down to the best tasting and freshest smoothie you could imagine. I pondered this great way of life and went home to convince my wife that we needed to go solar and be independent. Two years later we built a passive solar home with 100 per cent solar power and still live there today.

2. What top two steps does the industry need to take to be cost competitive with traditional energy generation? How can they be achieved?

The industry must continue to reduce costs whilst improving reliability, functionality and safety. The answer from a manufacturing point is simple: higher production quantities. To achieve this we require stable markets that are not turned on and off, as we have seen happen in the Australian market since 2000. Germany is a perfect example of what can be achieved if companies are confident enough to invest in a market; good commercial competition will do the rest.

3. What has been the greatest achievement of the clean energy industry, or your sector, in the past 5 years?

The market growth in photovoltaic (PV) has been enormous. It has brought many new players into the market and with this comes fresh ideas and a new wave of energy in the industry.

4. Where do you see the inverter sector going in the short and long term?

In the short term I expect we will see a consolidation in the Australian marketplace. I suspect the market will flatten slightly where some companies will leave and perhaps return with the next bubble. I see no real change until the next Federal election. At Selectronic we are now presenting our products to the world market to protect ourselves from the up and down local market.

In the long term, with lower prices and better features, solar PV and inverters will become less of a niche market, and will find their way into many different and varied applications where PV will be a real alternative.

5. What are the top two government incentives/policy measures you would like to see implemented today? Why?

Stable policy – in some ways the actual policy doesn’t matter as long as it’s stable, and ideally, for five to ten years. The Renewable Energy Certificate multiplier seems to be a reasonable method but must be implemented appropriately into the off-grid market as well.

If government is going to use taxpayer’s money, then it must get the best return possible. Any government stimulus must insist on Australian made components. The Germans have shown us that we do not have to use third world countries for manufacturing.

6. What promising technology is Selectronic currently developing or implementing?

Our SP PRO series of Grid Interactive Inverters has been a great success so far. The product is flexible and feature-rich, and our installers are finding many new ways to use it. In June this year we will release our new 18 kilowatt/120 volt version of the SP PRO, this new model will further reduce the dollars per watt while adding more new features.

In conjunction with Kaco Germany, we will release the AC Coupling concept in June, allowing bigger solar arrays to be cost-effectively used in grid backup installations or mini grids.

7. What one piece of advice would you give new entrants to the clean energy industry?

Word of mouth is a critical marketing tool in this industry, so for the sake of your customer, our industry and its image, we need all involved to do the job once and do it properly. You can’t put an old head on young shoulders especially if you are involved with the off-grid market, so employing someone who has experience is essential.