The need for PV plants in the Dominican Republic, especially for local businesses, is steadily increasing. Every week, business owners face numerous blackouts due to instabilities in the electrical grid, forcing them to turn to costly diesel power plants. Merk Energy aimed to provide PV power plants with battery storage as an alternative solution. However, this was particularly challenging, as we were unable to compete on price with local PV installation companies. The key to these projects was to successfully determine how to position ourselves within the Dominican customer landscape.

 

We discovered that expat managers and owners of small to mid-sized hotels highly valued and trusted the quality of German companies and services. Leveraging this insight, we managed to secure our first deals and establish the initial plants. Over six months, my role involved supporting project planning, analyzing and researching customer needs, and managing the import and export of hardware. Additionally, I was responsible for managing the expectations of various stakeholders, including hotel managers, workers, and tourists.