Stéphane Dufrenne is no stranger to innovation. With 13 years of experience in the semiconductor industry – nine of those while based in Asia – Stéphane has dedicated his career to developing cutting-edge technologies and world-class global manufacturing operations. As the CTO of Upsolar, Stéphane brings to the solar PV industry a fresh perspective based on his time with semiconductor leaders such as Philips and NXP Semiconductors. Here, he shares with PES his vision of Upsolar’s unique approach, which enables the company to provide the best PV module solution on the market.
Upsolar’s competitive edge
The first thing many people ask about Upsolar is “What sets your company apart from the others?” As difficult as the question may seem, this is actually the one I like to answer the most. True, when flipping through spec sheets, PV modules can seem similar. Many are close in wattage, dimensions, and other specifications. This can lead some to conclude too quickly that modules are “all the same.” It is against this assumption that I explain Upsolar’s difference. Look deeper than spec sheets and you will see that Upsolar is a different kind of company, producing a different kind of module. At its core, that difference is quality. Quality is a simple idea that’s never simple to achieve, and Upsolar has built a name for itself with a unique approach to consistently producing quality modules on which our customers can rely for decades.
Process defines product: excellence at each step
At Upsolar, our vertically integrated “Excellence at Each Step” approach to module manufacturing drives our achievements in quality production. We work closely with reputable manufacturing partners from around the world to keep our processes lean. Additionally, we dispatch our own quality control teams to monitor operations at all production facilities to guarantee our stringent standards are maintained during each phase of manufacturing. Our state-of-the-art R&D lab brings “Excellence at Each Step” to the next level. Upsolar’s team of R&D experts conducts rigorous testing on all module components to determine the top performers for integration into the company’s products. With our own lab, we can go the extra mile to assess quality. This robust R&D asset allows us to offer custom-made solutions supported by technical data that we’ve collected ourselves.
