Solar PV Leases available for 6 million EU homes

This looks like an interesting business model for entrepreneurs and venture capitalist.

If the growth and prices of solar panels are in check, and the government have a clear long term policy on RE development, leasing one's roof for installation of solar PV may be viable. Look at what EU did in that part of the world:

Solar leasing for home with no upfront costs, anyone? Image credit: MSS Powertech


Joint effort by different craft specialists

European municipal utility network Trianel GmbH and Conergy launched a partnership that enables municipal utilities in the Trianel network to offer solar leasing for homes with no upfront costs. Under the terms of the agreement, Conergy will design, install and maintain solar installations tailored for each customer.

Trianel is a network bringing together municipal electric utilities that develops new business models to support their independence and competitiveness. Its 100-plus shareholders supply a combined 6 million homes in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. 

“Services such as Trianel’s ‘EnergieDach’ follow a trend that will boost solar installations in the residential segment.” - Anke Johannes, CEO at Conergy Deutschland GmbH

Trianel’s “EnergieDach” service enables municipal utilities to install residential PV systems at no cost to homeowners. The utility undertakes the initial investment, set up, and operational management of the system. 

The customer, as system operator and leaseholder, uses the electricity generated for their own consumption. Tests in Heidelberg, Germany demonstrated that customers should save as much as €9,000 (US $13,000) over the 25-year term of the lease, with the option to buy additional electricity at preferential rates.


The Green Mechanics' two cents

The quota for the individual Solar PV installation - also called rooftop solar PV in Malaysia - is available for a longer period of time compared the non-individual (utility scale) quota. This is partly due to the apparent lack of awareness on the benefits, particularly in Sabah. It is understood that individual quota in Peninsula Malaysia is snapped up as soon as they become available.

When we have ran out of quota under the FiT system, and as prices of solar PV components become more competitive, we could perhaps give solar PV leasing a go.


Reference: REW Magazine | Mar/Apr 2015 Issue 18

UK ratifies new waste regulations on PV recycling

Someone asked if solar PV is really green, considering the amount of energy to manufacture the panels and the amount of effort required for the disposal of damaged/old ones. It's a good question but that's for the analysts to work it out.

While we let our self get carried away by the NKEA of achieving certain commendable target of Renewable Energy in the national energy generation mix, let's not forget about the electrical and electronic waste we are bound to be creating.

Broken and damaged PV panels - how are we going to dispose them of?

U.K. to introduce new regulations on PV recycling from January 1, 2014

The British government will introduce its interpretation of the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive for the disposal of PV modules ahead of schedule on January 1, 2014, in a move that has been applauded by pan-European recycling organization PV Cycle.

The U.K. has become the first EU member state to officially ratify its own national legislation on the laws, weeks in advance of the official February 14 deadline next year.

The WEEE Directive was updated in August 2012 to incorporate PV modules, with the industry given an 18-month transition period within which all 27 EU governments must incorporate new guidelines on PV waste into their national law.

According to the new directive, all PV modules that have reached their end-of-life (either because their warranty has expired or they have been damaged) must be disposed of in the correct manner. PV Cycle, with local presence in a number of European countries, is an organization that helps coordinate the take back and waste disposal of PV modules, managing a number of collection points across Europe and offering guidance on how PV producers can comply with the law and recycle their products accordingly.


The essence of the regulations

For the U.K. PV market, the new regulations require all importers of PV panels into the U.K. to register with a Product Compliance Scheme, which takes effect from January 1, 2014.

The scheme asks that all producers take full financial responsibility of the waste disposal of the PV panels they supply to the market, in addition to reporting all important data, such as numbers supplied and locations distributed to.



TheGreenMechanics: That's in Europe. They have until February next year to update their regulations to include PV in the waste management.

I'm not sure if we have ours yet. What is clear is that we have the relevant act for proper disposal of e-waste (electonic waste) but nothing's specific on photovoltaic panels.