Bright Outlook for Business With Rooftop Solar Leasing

James Larratt, CEO of Solpod, was recently interviewed by Ecogeneration Magazine  as part of a panel of solar experts about issues currently impacting commercial and industrial (C&I) solar.  C&I solar has experienced strong growth.  Has the Covid-19 pandemic and the drop in the Australian dollar adversely impacted the upward trend of large scale solar?  What models in solar could deliver positive results for commercial customers at this time?

Growth in solar is still viewed as a significant and integral part of the shift to a renewable energy economy.  Monique Miller, Executive Director of CEFC, was part of the panel and said, “Large-scale solar will continue to play a meaningful role in Australia’s energy transition, particularly as the grid evolves to accommodate lower cost renewables, replacing the ageing coal-fired power fleet.”

James Larratt similarly holds this optimistic view.  Larratt sees opportunities for expansion in solar with businesses entering renewable PPAs to meet their sustainability goals.  Larratt says that owner-occupiers may choose solar, as well as “tier-1 property funds” who are keen to meet “investors’ expectations for sustainability.”

Yet most other businesses, including commercial renters, face barriers in accessing solar:

  • Savings in rooftop solar is normally seen over a 10+ year operating life of a solar system.
  • Many businesses have planning cycles of less than five years, applicable to businesses considering redevelopment or those that rent properties on short-term leases.
  • Many business landlords are unable to prioritise capital for a solar asset purchase.
  • Standard solar systems permanently attach to roofs via fixtures that may pierce the roofsheet, unsuitable for businesses concerned with roof damage or the voiding of roof warranties.

Larratt shared details with Ecogeneration about Solpod’s unique, rentable product that overcomes the barriers faced by businesses in choosing solar.  Solpod offers a rentable solar product that can help more businesses with large rooftops access solar with commitment terms of less than 5 years.  Solpod Rental means businesses can benefit from rooftop solar with no rooftop PPAs and only a short term commitment.

Larratt said to Ecogeneration Magazine:“While purchasing a solar array or entering a standard rooftop PPA commits the business to today’s technology for decades to come, Solpod’s rental offer can efficiently enable businesses to upgrade panels in the future or opt out of solar if circumstances change.”

Solpod is a provider of solar to commercial and industrial rooftop sites, using prefabricated 10-panel ‘pods’ that are efficient to install, remove and relocate.  Solpods can be offered on a short-term basis, from one-to five years.  This helps industrial landlords and commercial renters with large rooftops, benefit from solar savings.

Solpod offers significant value to businesses with the rental of its solar pods, even with terms of only a few years. “The pods are redeployable and deliver electricity at a similar rate to standard rooftop PPAs of eight or more years,” says Larratt.

Solpod’s solar pods offer businesses a further advantage in that they do not penetrate the roof sheet.  This is of major consideration for many businesses, including cool stores, who have insulated roof sheets that cannot be penetrated without causing damage.  After leasing, Solpod’s solar pods are able to be removed without any roof disturbance, ready for redeployment at another site. 

Solpod’s re-deployable, rentable solar pods better meets the needs of many businesses.  Solpod is proud to be a leader in the shift to a zero emissions economy, overcoming the barriers businesses face in accessing solar.  Solpod offers an entirely new approach to commercial solar with its its re-deployable and rentable solar product.

Find out more about Solpod’s innovative solar solution for commercial and industrial rooftops.

Dark times for big solar