India-based energy solutions brand Luminous Power Technologies and South Africa’s Hudaco Energy have teamed up to bring a new range of energy solutions to South Africa.

The official launch of the product range was held in Midrand on October 26, with the range immediately available.

With ambitions of securing a 25% share in the power backup market over the next three years, the new partnership will enable access to affordable and sustainable fit-for-purpose energy solutions, including inverters, batteries and solar solutions, as well as the newly developed lithium battery pack (LitCore), which will be introduced on the South Africa market in the first quarter of next year.

“The energy storage market in South Africa is highly fragmented and unorganised, and this presents a unique opportunity for a trusted and reliable global brand like ours to enter the market with a commitment to prioritise customer needs at every step, from product search to installation and aftersales service,” says Luminous Power Technologies CEO and MD Preeti Bajaj.

Luminous Power Technologies, which aims to establish more than 200 touch points across the country by the end of next year, plans to establish South Africa as a hub for sustainable, reliable and innovative power solutions, including complete residential rooftop 3 KVa and 5 KVa solar solutions, and training and certifying local electricians as solar experts.

“The addition of Luminous Power Technologies to our portfolio of world-class products adds a significant push to our drive to energise and delight Southern African consumers. Our partnership enjoys a shared commitment to contribute to the country’s energy transition mission while creating employment opportunities in South Africa, and the introduction of market-relevant products such as lithium-ion solutions and gel batteries,” adds Hudaco Energy MD James Shirley.

The market-relevant products are tailored to the unique demands of South African consumers, he says, noting that many people have acquired products and solutions, designed for pure power quality conditions, that are not fit-for-purpose.

“In South Africa, we are dealing with issues of bad power quality. Our electricity is not at the right frequency. It is not at the right voltage. We have surges, we have sags, we have swells. We have terrible conditions, and all of those are going through and destroying people’s equipment.”

Critical for the company is that the products are applicable to South Africa’s conditions.

“Luminous Power Technologies has a range that is robust and hardy. It is designed for conditions like ours,” he continues, highlighting the experience of Luminous Power Technologies, which has installed more than 70-million products over 35 years in a country that faces similar power conditions to South Africa.

“We understand the intersection of affordable, relevant, applicable technology built to last. Being from India, Luminous Power Technologies has had the challenge and the opportunity, both, when it comes to energy security, energy reliability, power backup and power storage,” Bajaj says.

“We have invested in quality mission critical machines so that we can actually build the South African profile when we are testing our batteries, our inverters and our solar panels. It is not that others cannot make batteries. It is actually the application. How do the customers use it? How much do you use? What do you want to run? We have learned through applications . . . and we continue to invest in different storage applications and the right technology that serves best.”

Further, Luminous Power Technologies also aims to unlock what it calls “energy flexibilisation”, which enables a customer to start small and scale up as needed as power requirements evolve and change.

In preparation to carry the new range, Hudaco Energy has built an ecosystem to service the installed solutions.

“It is not just about buying a product. What happens when that product goes wrong? Or what happens when that product reaches end of life? We are building our own service teams, 30 of them, to take care of Level 3 service requirements,” says Shirley, noting that a Level 3 service centre has been established in Johannesburg.

Hudaco Energy has partnered with two other companies within the Hudaco Group, namely Elvey Security Technologies and Miro, to open up walk-in service centres.

The company now has 16 Level 2 service centres available, spread throughout South Africa, as well as a Level 3 service centre, which has the ability to recover 90% of the parts on a broken, replaced and failed product for recycling as part of the circular economy.

In addition to the service centres, Hudaco Energy has partnered with security company Fidelity ADT, whose technicians are being trained for fault-finding, maintenance and in-home service.

For the retail market, Hudaco Energy has partnered with Cadac to carry the brand.

The complete range is available immediately, including a range of inverters and batteries such as the ICON, Eco Volt Neo Series (900 Va to 2 KVa), Optimus and Inverlast Tubular batteries (150 Ah, 200 Ah and 220 Ah).

The newly launched LitCore Lithium battery pack will enter the South African market early next year; however, consumers are able to preorder the compact product, which provides three times faster charging and higher power density for consistency.

Luminous, a 100% subsidiary of Schneider Electric, is committed to playing a key role in Africa’s renewable-energy journey.

“Having established a strong foothold across the African continent in the past 15 years, this landmark partnership is a major milestone for Luminous Power Technologies as it further strengthens its foothold in the African market,” Bajaj comments.

Luminous Power Technologies has seven factories across India – a large inverter manufacturing plant and six battery plants, mostly invested in tall tubular technologies. A panel assembly plant will be launched in India within the next two months.