Chinese company enters UK supermarkets, "Two solar panels + micro-inverter, enough for a family of four"

[By/Observer Network Ruan Jiaqing]

Chinese companies are making another move overseas. According to a report from Japan’s Nikkei Asia on October 10, EcoFlow (a Chinese company known for its portable energy storage products like “large power banks”) has been named an official partner of the UK, and is set to move into UK supermarkets to sell solar panels, with hopes of replicating success across Europe.

The person in charge of EcoFlow’s Europe business revealed that the company expects to put plug-and-play photovoltaic power system products onto UK supermarket shelves within the next few months, aiming to enhance brand awareness while expanding its market for business customers.

According to reports, this Shenzhen-based company, together with Germany’s discount retail chain Lidl and the UK’s largest budget frozen food retailer Iceland, was selected by the UK government as a partner to participate in the UK household solar promotion program, helping reduce the public’s reliance on fossil fuels.

As an important initiative to achieve the net-zero emissions target by 2050, the UK government also plans to build 1.5 million energy-efficient “warm homes.” Such homes consume less energy in everyday operation and maintenance. EcoFlow’s products will support solar panels connecting directly to household mains outlets, making it easier for ordinary families to use renewable energy.

In an email reply to Nikkei Asia’s inquiries, the person in charge of EcoFlow’s Europe division said: “People are already seriously considering energy independence, reducing electricity expenses, and better controlling how electricity is produced and used. In regions with higher awareness of solar energy, battery energy storage, and home energy management, the adoption pace of related products will be clearly faster.”

EcoFlow did not respond to questions about its UK sales targets, but its representative said there is “a huge market space” in small and micro enterprises, the agriculture sector, off-grid application scenarios, and light commercial markets.

The company currently has more than 5 million users worldwide, with operations in more than 140 countries and regions, including multiple European markets. The company said it has already sold tens of thousands of units in partnership with retailers including Lidl supermarkets and Sweden’s IKEA; in Belgium and Germany, EcoFlow is also collaborating with Sweden’s Svea Solar to stock and sell products.

Based on EcoFlow’s estimates, installing just two solar panels from the brand and pairing them with a micro-inverter can meet the basic electricity needs of a four-person household in London.

Surplus electricity can be stored in dedicated energy storage batteries, or fed back into the public grid for sale. EcoFlow has also released a photovoltaic system version without energy storage. Its energy storage batteries do not need fixed connection to the mains; users only need to interconnect via a mobile app to achieve diversified smart control.

EcoFlow’s equipment consists of solar panels and a micro-inverter and can be directly plugged into a household wall outlet for use. EcoFlow

The report pointed out that compared with China’s highly concentrated energy infrastructure and the limited demand for small residential photovoltaic systems, the UK and European markets offer greater development potential for EcoFlow. EcoFlow’s main business in China is portable energy storage power supplies.

Last year, EcoFlow officially launched its online business in the UK, and in September established one of its two major European regional headquarters—the UK headquarters. The conflict in Iran has driven up energy spending for UK households, which may help drive growth in EcoFlow’s business. However, the company also said cautiously that the industry’s development still largely depends on government regulatory rules that have not yet been officially implemented in a complete form.

The UK’s market situation differs greatly from that of continental Europe as well. In terms of housing types, UK homes have far fewer balconies than in parts of Europe; at the same time, there are multiple controls and restrictions in the UK on energy generated by households themselves. Under current UK regulations, plug-and-play photovoltaic equipment must be connected to the household main power circuit by professional electricians, which both increases costs and consumes labor time.

A spokesperson from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said that plug-and-play photovoltaic products must meet product safety standards, and initial testing has shown that such systems can operate safely in the UK.

In response to inquiries from the outside about safety issues, EcoFlow said: “Protecting users’ data is our top priority. Our software design strictly follows high-standard safety specifications to ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations… Customers can rest assured that their data will be handled securely and responsibly.”

Industry observers also pointed out that if the UK is to achieve its net-zero emissions goal, it must simplify the cumbersome approval process and allow households to use plug-and-play photovoltaic technology that meets UK residential standards. In European markets such as France and Germany, users only need to plug EcoFlow’s photovoltaic system into a wall outlet to put it into use.

However, according to an earlier report by the Financial Times, the EU has banned providing public funding for inverters made in China on the grounds of so-called “security concerns.”

An inverter is a core power electronic device in solar power generation systems. Industry organizations estimate that among Europe’s solar power installed capacity of more than 220 gigawatts, inverters produced by Chinese companies are used in a large share.

The European Commission claimed that imported inverters used to control solar panel installations and other energy technologies are “one of the most urgent threats” to the EU’s critical infrastructure, and that all funding support will stop starting November 1.

Photovoltaic inverter (illustration)

According to a May 7 notice on the website of the Ministry of Commerce, a spokesperson for the Ministry responded to questions from reporters regarding the EU’s ban on providing funding support for projects using Chinese inverters. The spokesperson said that the Chinese side has noted the relevant information. The EU, without any actual evidence, for the first time designated China as a so-called “high-risk country” and, on that basis, banned funding support for projects using Chinese inverters. This is stigmatization of China and amounts to unfair, discriminatory treatment toward Chinese products. The Chinese side rejects this and firmly opposes it.

Designating China as a “high-risk country” by the EU will affect mutual trust between China and the EU, undermine bilateral economic and trade cooperation, harm the stability of China-EU and even global production and supply chains, and may even bring risks of “decoupling and breaking chains.” By forcefully taking measures to push out Chinese products, the EU violates market rules and fairness principles; it not only damages the interests of Chinese enterprises, but will ultimately boomerang and affect the EU’s green transition and energy security.

The Chinese side urges the EU to immediately stop the stigmatizing behavior of listing China as a “high-risk country” and to cancel unfair and discriminatory practices against Chinese products. The Chinese side will closely monitor and carefully assess how the EU’s policies affect the interests of Chinese enterprises and the China-EU production and supply chains, and will take measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

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