Interview

APsystems Inc. Details UK Market Strategy and Regulatory Advantages for PV & Storage

Saif Islam of EUPD Research speaks with Olivier Jacques, President Global at APsystems Inc., at Solar & Storage Live 2025. Jacques outlines APsystems' strategy for the recovering UK PV and storage market, emphasizing the company's full ecosystem approach and regulatory advantages.

Event
Solar & Storage Live 2025
Market
Europe, UK & Ireland, UK
Segment
C&I, Residential
Technology
Inverter, Photovoltaics, Storage
Format
Interview
Interviewer · EUPD Group
Saif Islam
Senior Consultant · EUPD Group
Guest · APsystems Inc.
Olivier Jacques
President Global · APsystems Inc.
Filmed ·Birmingham·Runtime 11:45Interview ·
InterviewSolar & Storage Live 2025 · Birmingham
11:45
Filmed on site · No editorial direction beyond question set · Captions auto-generated, reviewed by EUPD Research

Key takeaways

4 points · 11:45 video
  1. UK Market Resurgence
    The UK PV and storage market has been recovering for approximately 18 months, showing growth across residential, C&I, and DIY segments, coupled with significant interest in storage solutions.
  2. Solution-Oriented Approach
    APsystems emphasizes providing complete energy ecosystems rather than standalone products, aligning with the UK market's demand for integrated solutions spanning PV, storage, and BIPV modules.
  3. Regulatory Flexibility Advantage
    The UK's broad regulatory tolerance for innovative PV and storage products uniquely allows APsystems to deploy its full product range, including diverse microinverter configurations and dynamic tariff-compatible storage systems.
  4. Global with Local Focus
    APsystems operates with a global presence but tailors its approach to local market needs, exemplified by its dedicated UK entity and multi-language website supporting a localized customer experience.

APsystems' Global Expansion and UK Market Observations

Olivier Jacques, President Global at APsystems Inc., details the company's 15-year history as an innovator in Module Power Electronics (MLP), primarily focusing on microinverters and their multimodal variations. APsystems has expanded its portfolio to include storage solutions and BIPV modules, aiming to offer a complete ecosystem to the solar industry. Jacques highlights his role in transforming APsystems from an international to a truly global company. This involved establishing local teams in each market, allowing APsystems to adapt its offerings and approach to specific regional demands and cultures, such as being 'English in England' or 'German in Germany'.

"Global is to sell everywhere, but being everybody, it's mean that we are English in England, we are French in France, and we are German in, in in Germany." Jacques · 02:15

Navigating UK Demand and Leveraging Regulatory Flexibility

The UK PV and storage market has shown a visible resurgence over the past 18 months, exhibiting a growing trend across the full spectrum of the market including residential, C&I, and DIY segments. This recovery is accompanied by a significant increase in interest for storage solutions, indicating a shift towards more comprehensive energy systems. APsystems addresses this demand by positioning itself as a solution provider offering a full ecosystem rather than individual products. The company's strategy is to meet the UK market's specific need for integrated solutions that combine inverters, accessories, storage, and BIPV modules, accommodating diverse applications. A key advantage for APsystems in the UK is the market's regulatory flexibility. Unlike many European countries with strict national regulations, the UK has a broad tolerance for product innovation, allowing APsystems to deploy its entire product range, from dual to octo microinverters and storage solutions compatible with dynamic tariffs and VAT incentives. This environment fosters creativity and allows APsystems to introduce unique products to the market.

"UK has a very large tolerance. That mean that UK is part of the few country in Europe that may welcome the full spectrum and offering of a system." Jacques · 07:41

Two questions on the stand

Chapters · click to jump
00:09
Introduction to APsystems and Olivier Jacques
Saif Islam introduces Olivier Jacques of APsystems Inc., who briefly outlines the company's 15-year history as an MLP innovator.
00:45
APsystems' Evolution and Global-Local Strategy
Jacques details APsystems' growth from an international to a global company, emphasizing local teams tailored to specific markets.
02:39
UK PV and Storage Market Outlook
Jacques describes the UK market's recovery over the past 18 months, noting growing interest across residential, C&I, and DIY segments, with significant demand for storage.
04:10
APsystems' Solution-Oriented Approach for the UK
APsystems positions itself as a provider of complete energy ecosystems rather than individual products, meeting the UK market's demand for integrated solutions.
06:19
Regulatory Advantages and Future Innovation in the UK
The UK's flexible regulatory environment allows APsystems to deploy its full range of innovative PV and storage products, fostering creativity for future market offerings.
09:35
Accessing APsystems Information and Local Presence
Jacques directs customers to APsystems' global website for localized information and highlights the company's growing physical presence, including dedicated entities in Europe and the UK.

Interview transcript

Auto-generated · reviewed · ~3 min read
Hey everyone, this is Saif from EUPD Research and we are here at Solar and Storage Live 2025 in Birmingham. I'm joined today by Olivier Jacques, global president of AP Systems, who has taken some time out of his busy schedule to speak with us. Oli, first of all, thank you very much. It's great seeing you and we appreciate your time. Uh, first of all, maybe give us a brief rundown of AP Systems and of course of your illustrious career in the solar industry and your role at ap. Thank you for the welcome. Uh, so a system is, uh, now a 15 years, uh, innovator in the solar industry. And uh, to give you a brief about a system, it's uh, first MLP specialist, so module power electronic mm-hmm. Specialist. The heart of the business system. In term of innovation, it's the micro inverter and more particularly the multimodal micro inverter. But along the last 15 years and since the creation of uh, a system, a system developed to become a key leaders in the MLP in the world and in Europe, including UK of course, and has developed a range of micro inverter more recently a storage, uh, uh, with Inno innovative product in single and three phase up to BIPV module to offer a complete ecosystem to the solar industry. Yes. And you've been in the industry for quite some time. You've seen the ups and downs, but you've been with AP systems for quite some time now, right? Right. Yes. I am in a systems in I think close to 10 years, nine, 10 years, uh, something like that. So, uh, a system I arrive in a, in a system was a system was about 3, 3, 4 years and start to develop worldwide. And uh, the challenge at that time was to make a system not only an international company, but a global company, which make a difference between changing a company as international, as global international. It mean that they can sell everywhere. Yeah. It's not enough for us. And you've had a big influence in this development. Global is to sell everywhere, but being everybody, it's mean that we are English in England, we are French in France, and we are German in, in in Germany and uh, America and in US and so on. Mm-hmm. And then we are global with a local team and a a, a worldwide influence headquarter from China. These make the company global. We feed to each market is what we achieve today. So we're in Birmingham. So let's be English in England for today. Exactly. Uh, give us your view on the UK PV and storage market as it stands now. Yeah, So when the way we are, we have seen and we are still, uh, looking to the UK market today, it's a very providing market, still a big potential on the solar and so on. The PV solar, uh, UK got some waves up and down, uh, by the past. So UK reached a peak and uh, even stand as the number one market for a couple of time before to drop dramatically. The beauty of the situation is uh, we are prepared to go through the peak and through the storm. Mm-hmm. Today, uh, uh, UK since about 18 months is visibly coming back to the story. And so we are on the, on the right uh, curves with some, uh, growing trend in the uk. So the market is coming back, something is changing a little bit for UK and the way we see is UK now is clearly coming back with a big interest on the full spectrum of the market residential, but also CNI, which is good, including DIY. So that's a big game is all the spectrum and we have to add to that a big interest on storage. So I think today the winning company in UK must be able to fit in all the spectrum of the market because this is what the UK is looking today. So you were telling us about the scope from the small plugin place systems to the residential home energy system. Correct. Small commercial all the way up. Where and how is AP Systems po uh, positioned within the UK market with these segments? And what is your value proposition for the British market? That The key question for P system for the uk and the key question because uh, we have a key advantage for the uk. A system as I told before, was developed to become global and increase its portfolio from product for the production of energy to storage and even including A-B-I-P-V module. But it's not the only thing we did. We also enlarged from DIY residential and commercial. But again, it's not only, the only thing we did then we think about product is not enough. Okay. Whatever. The product portfolio is not enough. Specifically in uk what I observe in UK is many, many, uh, uh, demand and customer, they don't ask for a product, they ask for a solution. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I heard that more and more they come to us, they said, we love your solution or we need a solution. They don't need a product, they need a solution. Beautiful. Because Apple system is exactly going to this trend. We try to offer a full ecosystem, not a product. Everyone may manufacture a product and offer a product. Not everyone may offer a full solution that fits DYY residential and CNI, including inverter, including accessory, including storage, including BIPV module and again other things coming. So today are we going to meet this kind of UK specificity is exactly moving to the ecosystem and offering the full ecosystem to the market. That is our answer, answer to have a competitive and complete ecosystem for the customer is what they are looking for. Well, that's amazing. I mean, as you mentioned, you are positioning yourself as a solution provider with looking into the future, what may be the future demand. Correct. Tell us last question a little bit about how you see the future of the UK market and again, how AP systems can adapt to that by offering solutions. Uh, today, the, the, the UK market, the trend we are seeing is not only, uh, grow in demand, but we, we may see also at the governmental level some incentive put in place for storage, for residential, for commercial. This is very encouraging. It means that we may see a trend that start to move for the next three, five years, which is, which is a kind of, uh, duration that we may, we may be confident enough in solar things moving very, very quickly, but we know that it's moving on the right way. Another point, which is very interesting as an a system, uh, for a system company is UK is today very flexible on the way they accept a product. Mm-hmm. Let's me to explain what I want to say. As you know, in Europe, every single country has its own regulatory. The regulatory is driving the kind of product you can sell in the product. Yeah. In, in the, in the market. Sorry. UK has a very large tolerance. Okay. That mean that UK is part of the few country in Europe that may welcome the full spectrum and offering of a system. All the products fits with the regulatory of uk. What does it mean? It's not only a full offering in term of a solution and ecosystem, but is also a wide range. For example, we go from dual to quad to Octo with a micro inverter, it means we can pair two module, we can pair four module, we can pair eight module and all of them can be mixed together. Mm-hmm. It's unique. So it's mean that we can go to two module DIY to couple of megawatt solution. Wow. Without any problem with our product. We can fit the demand of, uh, storage with, uh, dynamic tariff, which is a big request in the uk. We have that features. We can also pair with a home connected device in the arm that give uh, 0% VAT. Mm-hmm. We have also this capacity and is already done. So that mean that today UK for us is a market that it's kind of good pilot because it's opened the door to every kind of future. Mm-hmm. And a system, one of the DNA of a system is innovation. A system made its story through innovation. When we find a market that accept all kind of innovation is very exciting because we can open the door of our creativity and say, oh, we are going to try that product nobody is doing. Yeah. And we can offer to some customers in uk some unique product that I would not find anywhere because UK is welcoming this kind of product so that it's today the vision and the offer that can stick to the vision of the uk. Wow, that's really impressive. So, so what I heard from Olivier is that AP Systems is the perfect solution provider for the uk, but not only the UK but other global markets because they invest in the demands of an individual market so that they can adapt to that. EOPD research has already, uh, awarded AP systems with a top innovation award. So it's a perfect address for you to get information. Oli, last question. Where can customers install us and et cetera, find more information on AP systems? Give us the website. So, uh, the website is multi-language, so English and we even go to English from UK or English from US mm-hmm. Or other place, so Okay. You have your own language. Yeah, yeah. As I told you, we global, we English in uk. Cool. No, and we have a team local, so, uh, any information can be fine to, uh, www app system.com mm-hmm. And from this global website, you just go to the country and language that fits your place. And of course we have a local team and we even have an entity now in uk, which is even more than others. We have three entity for all Europe. Wow. One of them for if we count also Andorra for, uh, other, other activity. Mm-hmm. The ecosystem is very large and we have an entity for a system in, uh, Amsterdam looking for part of the, of Europe, one in France recently, one in uk. Mm-hmm. And we even have, uh, four, the bi IPV, module one, another one in UK and Ireland. Wow. Which is, uh, headquarter there. Cool. So UK has a special place and flower for us and all of that supported by local team across Europe. So you heard it here, check it out on www.apsystems.com, check your language and your location and you will find the perfect address for your home energy solution. Olivie, thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Now we'll let you do what you do best, spread the news of AP Systems. Thank you. Thanks.
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Frequently asked questions

APsystems is an innovator in Module Power Electronics (MLP), specializing in microinverters, particularly multimodal designs. Over 15 years, they have expanded their portfolio to include storage and BIPV modules, offering a comprehensive ecosystem for the solar industry.

APsystems aims to be a global company, not just international, by establishing local teams that adapt to specific market needs and regulations. This strategy ensures the company integrates seamlessly into diverse regions, becoming ‘English in England’ or ‘German in Germany’.

The UK PV and storage market has been experiencing a strong comeback for approximately 18 months. There’s significant growth and interest across all segments, including residential, C&I, and DIY, with a notable increase in demand for storage solutions.

APsystems’ value proposition lies in providing full energy ecosystems rather than just individual products. This aligns with the UK market’s demand for comprehensive solutions that integrate PV, storage, and accessories, fitting various applications from DIY to C&I.

The UK market stands out for its regulatory flexibility, which welcomes a broad spectrum of innovative products. This allows APsystems to offer its full range of microinverters (dual, quad, octo) and storage solutions compatible with dynamic tariffs and VAT incentives, fostering innovation not always possible in other European markets.