KHMER SOLAR CORPORATE PROFILE
Khmer Solar, a limited liability company, registered
pursuant to Cambodian law, was founded in 1997 by Ford Thai, a dual citizen
of Cambodia and the United States and the majority shareholder, Peter
Banwell and Margaret Ryan both United States citizens. The company was
founded to serve rural Cambodians who were off the electric grid and not
likely to get on anytime in the foreseeable future. Our first customers were
for the most part nongovernmental organizations and donors who built schools
and health centers for the government. In 2008, Kunthap Hing, an American
educated engineer, a dual citizen of Cambodia and France, joined the
company, bringing with him more than 40 years of experience in the energy
and environment sector.
In the past ten years, the Cambodian economy has experienced unprecedented
growth and a vibrant private sector has emerged. Cellular telecommunication
depends on solar energy to power communication towers which are off the
grid. In addition, tourism has expanded and the hotel industry has opted for
solar hot water, a clean energy with a very interesting pay-out-time. As the
market evolved, so did the company and Khmer Solar now serves into five
sectors: telecommunications, solar hot water, solar navigational lighting,
solar home systems and specially designed solar systems.
Khmer Solar is headquatered in Phnom Penh, with branch offices in Battambang
and Siem Reap. We have 10 fulltime sales, office and administrative
personnel and 14 technicians. We are the largest and most diversified solar
energy company in Cambodia.
SOLAR POWERED TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Khmer Solar began selling components to the telecommunications industry in 1998. Each year, sales to the industry increased. In 2004, Khmer Solar in a joint venture with Kyocera International, the telecommunications division of Kyocera, began selling entire solar systems to power rural telecommunications towers. Khmer Solar/ Kyocera are the principal supplier to the largest telecom provider in Cambodia. In the last two years alone, Khmer Solar/ Kyocera has supplied 1.2 MW of solar energy to the telecom industry.
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SOLAR HOT WATER
In 2005, Khmer Solar began to import solar hot water systems. Since then we
have installed both small systems on homes and large systems for hotels. The
systems are efficient, and heat up quickly, meaning that they work well even
in the rainy season. While hot water is not in high demand in typical
Cambodian households, it is a requirement in hotels and guest houses
catering to foreigners.
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SOLAR NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEMS
Khmer Solar is the sole distributor in Cambodia and Vietnam for Sealite, the
Australian manufacturer of high quality solar navigational lights that are
used for tower lights, and markers for rivers and seaports. Since 2002, we
have sold increasing numbers of these lights, a total of more than 2,000.
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