South Australian solar module manufacturer Tindo Solar has unveiled its 8th generation PV module – the Walara.
Tindo says the Walara series is the first Australian-made solar panel with N-type cells, manufactured at its factory in Adelaide. The company states that Walara is manufactured in various cell configurations and variants, including White-Back, Black-Back and Bi-Facial. The first to become available is the 425G3P, and the CEC approved module list shows (at this point) that there will be at least 18 variations of the Walara series, with capacities ranging from 415 watts to 570 watts.
Tindo Walara 425W G3P specifications
- Cells: 108 half-cut N-type cells
- Dimensions: 1722 x 1133 x 35mm
- Plate weight: 22 kg
- Maximum power: 425 watts
- Positive power tolerance: 0~+5W
- Module efficiency: 21.8%
- Frame: Black anodized aluminum alloy
- Operating temperature –40°C to +85°C
- Temperature coefficient Pmax: –0.32%/°C
- Product guarantee: 25 years
- Performance guarantee: 25 years (87.4% performance in the 25th year)
You can find a data sheet for the Walara 425WG3P here.
Farewell, Karra?
The predecessor of the Walara series – the Karra – is no longer listed on the company’s website; but whether the arrival of Walara signals the immediate end of production of the Karra is not clear.
The Karra has served the company (and its customers) well. An example installation is a 5.5 kW Karra-based system that has been operating in harsh conditions at the Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Center (DKASC) in Alice Springs since 2016. The DKASC is a demonstration facility for a range of solar technologies operating in a dry environment.
Other Tindo events
Founded in 2010, Tindo makes panels from imported cells and other components. But the company is aiming to incorporate even more Australian-made bits and bobs. The company recently announced an agreement with the country’s largest aluminum extruder, Capral Aluminum, to supply module frame materials used for the Walara 425W panel (and presumably other Walara modules as well). The company will supply Tindo with Capral’s lower-emission extruded product “LoCAl”.
Tindo also intends to build a new factory capable of producing up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of modules per year (~7,000 modules per day). The company has already signaled it will apply for funding under the federal government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot initiative, which aims to support Australian solar PV and associated manufacturing. Solar Sunshot’s first rounds of financing started at the weekend.
In 2022, Tindo expanded production at its Mawson Lakes, SA location; Increase in annual production capacity from 60 megawatts to 150 megawatts. The new Gigafactory, if realized, will be built somewhere else. Tindo estimates that the Gigafactory will create 250 direct jobs and 900 supply chain jobs and generate economic activity of around $300 million per year.
Despite being expensive compared to Chinese imports, Tindo enjoys the support of Australians keen to purchase high quality, locally made panels. And in that regard, it’s currently the only show in town. Tindo solar panel reviews here on SolarQuotes have averaged 4.7 stars overall and 4.5 stars in the last twelve months.
The company is currently listed as a SQ recommended solar panel brand. You can compare Walara specifications with other modules in SQ’s solar module comparison table.
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