Sunergise: Commercial solar can cut business power bills without upfront cost

Résumé détaillé

Energy is easier to manage when it doesn’t have to be shipped across oceans, says Paul Makumbe, chief executive of solar specialist Sunergise. “You can make it where you need it.”…

Sunergise’s 5.3 MW system at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare supplies about a fifth of the campus’ electricity.

Sunergise is a sponsor of the Herald’s Sustainable Business and Finance report.

Energy is easier to manage when it doesn’t have to be shipped across oceans, says Paul Makumbe, chief executive of solar specialist Sunergise. “You can make it where you need it.”

For Makumbe, this is one of the strongest arguments for businesses to generate more of their own electricity. He says the economics of commercial solar have worked for years, but what is changing now is that more businesses are recognising the opportunity.

“The kind of cost savings we’re able to provide our customers have been there for more than five years. It is getting to that point at a whole-of-market perspective where those cost savings are now starting to become more apparent.”

It’s a straightforward, practical proposition. Businesses can use less power from the grid, gain more certainty over some electricity costs and cut emissions at the same time.

Sunergise’s power purchase agreement model is designed to make that easier by removing the upfront capital cost of installing solar. The company funds and owns the system; the customer pays for the electricity it generates.

Makumbe describes the arrangement as a way for businesses to put their capital to work elsewhere. “What you want is a utility. And if you can get the same utility at a lower cost, that means you can deploy your capital into your core business.”

For him, the environmental benefit follows from a sound commercial case. “If you cannot prove an economic benefit, it is really challenging to get that across the line.”

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