Conergy has joined forces with German utility group RWE on a new "solar rentals" service aimed at the commercial sector.
The leasing program, the companies said, will eliminate "one of the biggest barriers to uptake upfront investment costs."
Similar to programs offered Stateside by companies like SolarCity, the service will allow commercial owners and tenants of offices, factories, warehouses and other buildings to pay fixed monthly fees to rent complete solar systems from RWE, with zero upfront investment cost, and benefit from reduced electricity bills.
System sizes will range in average from 50 kWp to 200 kWp in size, with the aim of maximizing the clients onsite consumption of the electricity generated.
As part of the agreement, RWE Energiedienstleistungen GmbH will market the solar rentals service to RWE group companies existing business customers as well as to new customers.
Conergy, which is being transformed from one of Europe's largest manufacturers of PV technology into a global downstream services company, will design high-performance plants tailored for each customer, supply components as well as operations and maintenance services where required, the companies said in a statement released Monday.
Alexander Gorski, Conergys Global COO and CEO Europe, said: "The partnership reflects Conergy's excellent relations and expanding cooperation with RWE. Both companies are committed to delivering high quality energy-saving services to their international customers, and working together, will expand the opportunities for businesses to benefit from PV not only in Germany, but also in different countries."
The service will initially launch in Germany, where five pilot projects conducted last year resulted in average savings for each customer of 10% on energy bills.
"Business customers want flexible finance options, and they also want investment certainty," Gorski added. "The partnership with RWE delivers both, with a low-cost rental model and the security of Conergy-designed systems that are built to last."
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