#MakeSolarEU: Weidmüller’s role in reshoring solar manufacturing to Europe

Combiner boxes are customised for each project as they must also be modified to best fit the selected panels and inverters.

At the same time, the requested lead time is often between 6-8 weeks, so producing in Europe allows us to support our customers and partners in the best way possible.

We’re very proud that we’ve been contributing to the PV-powered green energy revolution with our Balance of System solutions since 2007. Over the last 18 years, we have connected more than 200 million panels with more than 39 GWp to our combiner boxes.

Every day we’re working hard to provide our customers with great products, at the right time with excellent prices to increase this contribution further!

Founded in 1850, Weidmüller is a family-owned global player in electric connection technology. Today we have production facilities and sales companies in over 80 countries. We feel right at home in markets relating to Smart Industrial Connectivity, including electrification, automation, digitalization, electrical connectivity and renewable energies.

Weidmüller builds combiner boxes for both AC as well as DC, communication boxes, and weather stations. We build our products at our site in Barcelona.

Our combiner boxes do three things. They connect panels and inverters, they protect and monitor the efficiency of the strings, and they ensure safe conditions during operation and maintenance.

Our own factory was opened in June 2024. Before that, we worked with a local assembly partner.

We manufacture and sell more than 40,000 combiner boxes per year. These are not all for utility PV, they can also be for rooftop.

Our factory provides 20 direct jobs, as well as 35 indirect jobs.

Our competition is focusing on buying components from all around the world and assembling combiner boxes somewhere (sometimes in Europe, but mostly in India or China). Weidmüller, on the other hand, produces all critical components such as surge protection, measurement devices and fuse holders, which gives our customers a product with superior quality.

Our biggest opportunity comes from global electrification. With high energy consumption, we benefit not only from the growth of installed PV power but also from the expansion of the grid’s transmission and distribution infrastructure.

On the other hand, Weidmüller’s biggest challenge is competing with low-cost imports, primarily those from Asia.

Our vision for 2025 is to provide easy, fast, and safe connectivity for photovoltaic applications. By doing so, we will reduce the training, installation, and service time for PV installers, enabling them to further accelerate the expansion of PV-powered plants.

Weidmüller will remain one of the largest producers of Balance of System Components and Solutions worldwide. Current policy decisions will determine whether this manufacturing continues in Europe or shifts to other regions around the globe.

Our message would be that they should support manufacturing within the EU through long-term measures that help to at least partially offset higher production costs in the EU.

Yes, you can see the latest developments with our PV Next combiner boxes. This black PCB board layout eliminates much of the internal cabling, saving resources, mainly copper, and offers additional benefits for users, such as a more compact footprint and higher operating temperatures.

For sure! With long-term support for local manufacturing, the industry can close current gaps, including in PV panel production. However, policymakers must provide partial compensation for the higher costs of producing “Made in the EU” products. This support should extend over a 5 to 10-year timeframe, giving manufacturers the stability they need to make informed investment decisions today.

It is essential to provide strong support for “Made in the EU” products.