Manufacturing Excellence: How Guy Sella’s Dream Became a Model Factory

The value of a moment in life is defined by what you choose to do with it. Guy Sella, the founder of SolarEdge, was often quoted as asking people a simple question, “When is the best time to plant a tree?” “The answer,” he would say, “was forty years ago.” And then he would ask a follow-up question, “When is the second-best time to plant a tree?” And the answer to that is “Today.” 

As this week marks the 4th anniversary of Guy’s passing, we thought it might be fitting to revisit his vision for SolarEdge and our automated manufacturing facility, Sella 1, located in northern Israel. 

Guy had a way of inspiring people, and he was a mentor to many at SolarEdge. Another favorite saying of his was, “If you want to go fast, then go alone, but if you want to go far, then go together.” He was the kind of leader that, despite his big-picture approach, knew where each screw and bolt belonged on every product. Guy understood that a cross-discipline production approach and effective communications are vital to building a brand promise based on quality and reliability. Guy himself was a Renaissance man of the modern era, combining diverse skillsets as a brilliant engineer with an understanding of electronics and a keen understanding of technological innovation, business and market trends. As a visionary who could see how different disciplines work together, Guy wanted SolarEdge’s R&D, Manufacturing, QA, and other teams to collaborate closely to develop best practices and deliver a better product. 

When designing our manufacturing facility in Israel, it was essential to him that everyone, including management, all work on the factory floor together so that leadership is attuned to and involved in our production processes. Sella 1 is located near SolarEdge’s R&D center, allowing it to serve as a test bed for accelerating the R&D cycle so that new product prototypes can be produced and tested for quality. This intimate involvement in the development of the technology gives SolarEdge a level of control that few in the industry can match. 

Guy also led us towards a “one-piece flow” manufacturing approach, which means we avoid large batches and monitor the progress of each individual unit as it goes through the manufacturing process in a single line, avoiding interruptions that can reduce quality and efficiency. Also, SolarEdge coined the term, “Copy Smart” our approach to factory design that rolls out every development and improvement implemented at Sella 1 to all the other SolarEdge manufacturing facilities around the world. This ensures a standardized system of production and resulting product quality that underscores how we are able to offer the longest warranties in the market, for our products.