Solar Exchange has announced the launch date of its cloud-based commerce platform which automates the buying and selling of goods for the solar industry.

Beginning September 9, professionals across the solar value chain will be able to do business with each other utilizing the Solar Exchange trading platform, a new way to buy and sell materials and finished goods on a global basis.

Solar Exchange utilizes online business-to-business (B2B) auctions and request for quote (RFQ) capabilities to facilitate sales and procurement activities. These capabilities create a direct connection between qualified solar businesses, large and small, along the entire solar value chain including raw material and component suppliers, panel and BOS manufacturers, Engineering-Procurement-Construction (EPC) companies, developers, integrators, utilities, and power companies.

"Solar Exchange fills a gaping hole in the solar industry infrastructure," said Solar Exchange founder Z. Ed Lateef.

"Not uncommon in early markets, supplier and buyer networks within the solar market are highly fragmented. Companies have been forced to seek out partners on their own, establish trade and commercial relationships and commit to commerce with little market support. Solar Exchange removes trade barriers by offering an easier pathway to doing business within the solar industry."

In addition to fragmented market infrastructure, Solar Exchange resolves common challenges faced by sales and procurement professionals including limited access to new and growing markets and the ability to respond to rapidly-changing market conditions. For sellers, extending market reach into new sales channels using traditional models is costly and often a limiting factor for many organizations.

For buyers, gaining access to multiple suppliers to limit sole-source risk, as well as challenges from a lack of transparency in the conventional procurement approach, burdens cost, thereby limiting margin opportunity; a challenge faced by all organizations in today's competitive market.

Solar Exchange gives companies access to major markets across the globe through its online commerce platform, creating more opportunities for members to establish and extend sales and procurement channels. In addition, it accelerates the sales and procurement process enabling companies to be more agile in today's rapidly changing industry.

"Validation of this new commerce solution across the industry has been extremely positive," said Solar Exchange CEO Gary Mull.

"Companies across the solar value chain recognize the limitations of traditional buy-and-sell activities and are excited to see a model that has proven effective in other markets become operational in the solar industry."