Entrepreneur Interview | Yin Zijun, Chairman of Kaiyuan Solar Lighting: 18 Years Chasing the Light, Making Solar Lighting Shine Globally
Against the global backdrop of accelerating "dual carbon" goals, solar lighting, as a key area for green energy applications, is ushering in unprecedented development opportunities. At the same time, challenges such as low-price involution and lack of standards within the industry urgently need to be overcome. Jiangsu Kaiyuan Solar Lighting Co., Ltd., this "light walker" with 18 years of deep cultivation in the industry, uses technological innovation as its pen and the global market as its canvas, writing the breakthrough path of Chinese enterprises in the new energy track.
The company is located by Gaoyou Lake in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, with a factory covering 40,000㎡ and possessing 30,000㎡ of professional production workshops and a 2,000 square meter laboratory, equipped with distributed goniophotometers, IP ingress protection testing and more than 40 other sets of testing equipment, building a full-chain R&D and production capacity from solar panels and lithium batteries to LED luminaires. To date, its products have been exported to 95 countries and regions worldwide, with cumulative deliveries exceeding 1 million sets of solar street lights, continuously illuminating the light of green lighting in scenarios such as tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia, aid projects in Africa, and high-end communities in the Middle East.
From a local manufacturer to a global market participant, how does Kaiyuan Solar establish itself in differentiated competition? Facing industry dilemmas, how does it break through with "technology-driven upward competition"? In this interview, Mr. Hong Bing, Editor-in-Chief of China Light Network, dialogues with Mr. Yin Zijun, Chairman of Kaiyuan Solar, decoding the growth logic and future vision of this enterprise guided by "light".
Q What are the distinctive features of Kaiyuan Solar's core market layout? How does it achieve differentiated competition in different regions? A: Kaiyuan Solar currently focuses on Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa as its core markets, building a differentiated layout of "demand-driven + standard adaptation" : Southeast Asia focuses on government projects in areas with weak power grids, meeting third-party inspection requirements with cost-effective products; Africa relies on aid construction projects to provide durable solutions, balancing quality and cost; the Middle East follows high European and American standards, exploring high-profit markets with the concept of environmental protection; Europe and America are indirectly penetrated through OEM cooperation, with plans to directly enter the high-end market through certification breakthroughs in the future. Currently, sales in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa account for over 90%, while the European and American markets are still in the layout phase but show significant potential. Q How does Kaiyuan Solar respond to global trade barriers (such as US tariffs)? Answer: The key to addressing trade barriers lies in "technological breakthroughs and compliance upgrades". Facing tariff challenges, given that the impact of the 30%-40% tariffs imposed by the US on related products is limited, while tariffs exceeding 100% would shock the supply chain, Kaiyuan Solar has accelerated technological innovation. By optimizing structural design to improve solar panel orientation and power generation efficiency, and actively obtaining CE, UL and other European and American certifications, it avoids low-price competition with high value-added products. In addition, risks are dispersed through market diversification to avoid reliance on a single region, forming a pattern of coordinated development between core markets and diversified layouts. Q What innovative breakthroughs has Kaiyuan Solar achieved in product research and development and design? Answer: Kaiyuan Solar adheres to the philosophy of "Design is Productivity", achieving four major innovative breakthroughs: Revolutionizing traditional tilt design by introducing a horizontal solar panel installation solution, ensuring uniform illumination through optimized LED light distribution angles; Addressing that 99.9% of failures originate from the storage and control system, we developed a modular design allowing tool-free replacement in 3 minutes, improving maintenance efficiency by 80%; The entire product series achieves an IP68 ingress protection rating, using corrosion-resistant materials such as 304 stainless steel, ensuring a lifespan of ≥10 years in harsh environments; In response to severe battery theft in some regions, we have specially launched battery compartments with electronic anti-theft functions, effectively ensuring equipment security through smart designs such as card-swipe unlocking. These innovations have been successfully applied in multi-million-level projects at Samsung's photovoltaic power stations in the Middle East. Q The industry faces the dilemma of "low-price involution"; how does Kaiyuan Solar adhere to long-termism? Answer:Kaiyuan Solar breaks through the industry's predicament by "rolling up technologically", refusing blind expansion, focusing on its core business, controlling costs through automated production lines, and investing in professional laboratories while collaborating with the supply chain to enhance the performance of core components, achieving stable operation of over 1 million units. Furthermore, it calls for the establishment of unified industry standards, leveraging its experience to drive the transition from "low-price competition" to "value competition", demonstrating the value of long-termism through an 18-year partnership case with an international brand. Q What are Kaiyuan Solar's plans for brand and market expansion in the future? 答：未来开元太阳能在品牌与市场拓展上分为短期与长期规划，短期将通过光亚展、法兰克福展等国际展会收集市场反馈，针对性优化产品以适配欧美标准；长期则聚焦两大战略： Promote brand upgrading, shifting from "survival-oriented" to "quality-driven" , enhancing profit margins and market competitiveness with high-quality products; Implement technology export, aiming to become a qualified supplier for European and American brand enterprises, gradually penetrating the high-end supply chain, and achieving a leap from "manufacturing" to "brand + technology" driven . Q What suggestions do you have for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the industry? Answer: Small and medium-sized enterprises should avoid blindly following the trend of "involution" and focus on two main aspects: Focus on深耕 in niche segments, such as targeting vertical scenarios like rural roads and courtyard lighting, and build competitive barriers through differentiated design. A typical example is Kaiyuan's "Satellite Series" with its three-sided solar panel light-gathering design; Embrace long-termism, base yourself on the essential need for "light" in the Industry, promote technological iteration around users' actual pain points, and avoid blind trend-chasing. Kaiyuan Solar won cooperation with major international brands after 18 years of focused persistence, which is the best proof that "constant effort yields results." Conclusion
From a local factory in Gaoyou, Yangzhou to being a "Messenger of Light" in 95 countries and regions worldwide, Kaiyuan Solar's growth trajectory reflects the resilience and wisdom of Chinese new energy enterprises. In the humid rainforests of Southeast Asia, the vast grasslands of Africa, and the luxurious city-states of the Middle East, it vindicates "Made in China" with its strategy of "technology adapting to needs, quality crossing barriers, and long-termism earning trust."
When the Industry is trapped in a low-price cycle, Kaiyuan Solar proves that "moving upward" is the sustainable way to break through, with thousands of tests in the laboratory, lean innovations on the production line, and standard dialogues at international exhibitions. The 18-year persistence is not only love for the cause of "light", but also faith in "technology-driven Industry upgrade."
Today, standing at the new starting point of deepening the "Dual Carbon" strategy, Kaiyuan Solar is presenting a green answer sheet from Chinese enterprises to the global market with the attitude of "quality-driven brand, technology opening up high-end". We look forward to this light-guided enterprise illuminating more corners in the future, and even more to its clear blueprint for "value competition" in the industry through its own practice.
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