Frequently asked questions

Are solar prices cheaper than the energy prices I pay my supplier?

Solar energy is by far our most popular technology because it offers the biggest savings. The cost of solar panels has fallen by over 80% in the last 10 years and we pass on these savings through PPA prices that are typically well below the prices paid to suppliers. Exact savings will depend on the design of the scheme as well as the amount of onsite energy consumed by the customer.

What happens if I don’t own my business site?

The contractual terms for distributed energy are normally simpler if the customer owns the site – or if they have a long term lease (e.g. 20+ years). For shorter leases we work with landlords and customers to identify innovative ways to fund clean energy assets on their sites.

Do I still have an electricity bill if I have solar panels?

The on-site Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) gives customers the chance to pay a heavily discounted rate for the energy generated by the onsite asset. Normally this will cover a proportion of the customer’s energy needs but any additional energy will need to be bought from the grid through existing energy suppliers.

What happens to any additional generation that I don’t use?

Typically we can offer the lowest PPA prices if the customer consumes most of the energy that is produced. However there may be periods when the customer does not take all the energy generated and the funder sells this back to the grid. They use the benefits of this excess energy to bring down the price of the PPA.

Who maintains the energy system that’s installed?

The funder owns the solar panels or other assets that are installed. They are responsible for ensuring that they are working efficiently – and use cutting edge performance monitoring to identify any issues, often before the customer is aware there is a problem.