Utilising an embedded network can provide substantial savings for commercial buildings such as apartment blocks, office buildings, and shopping centres. In a traditional non-embedded network design, each individual apartment, business, or shop has its own connection point to the local network.
The network operator is then responsible for all metering services, while an electricity retailer is responsible for retailing and billing.
By aggregating usage of all individual units within the development and incorporating an embedded network, an opportunity exists for the site’s owner to gain access to the wholesale energy market for a bulk electricity purchase.
As a result, the collective group purchase can attract a cheaper rate than what is available to individuals. A revenue stream becomes available to the site owner due to the differential between the group energy rate, and the rate charged to individual tenants.
As an approved electricity retailer, Solar Switch is able to design, install, own and maintain an embedded network on behalf of the site’s owner. This solution is facilitated via a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) ensuring there is no capital outlay. Solar Switch will take on ownership and maintenance of the embedded network for the agreed-upon term, becoming responsible for all billing functions.
Solar Switch has access to the entire solar panel market and is not tied to any particular brand or manufacturer. We will recommend the best solar panels for our commercial customers and provide you with our reasoning. Here is an insight into how we go about selecting solar panels to recommend to our clients.
Benefits of an Embedded Network for Developers:
- A potential reduction of the network operator’s connection headworks cost for new developments. Typically, the site connection price provided by the network operator includes the cost of metering. By removing metering from the scope of works an opportunity exists to reduce costs.
- Solar Switch can turn this metering cost into an operational cost, rather than a development cost.
- Solar Switch can provide a more informative, customer-focused, and sophisticated metering infrastructure than what’s offered by the network operator.
- Installing a large-scale solar system alongside an embedded network can allow for further energy price reductions, creating additional, substantial savings.
Benefits of an Embedded Network for Strata Companies/Owners:
- The site owner or strata company can either choose to pass through electricity at cost and reduce the individual owner’s/tenant’s energy rate.
- The site owner can elect to charge electricity at the applicable gazetted tariff to generate a revenue stream. This revenue can be used to offset levies, further contribute to a sinking fund, or pay for upgrades to increase the attractiveness of the site.
- Allows for large-scale solar and storage to be deployed and used on-site to further reduce electricity costs.
- Provides a more sophisticated metering network/ structure than what’s offered by the network operator at no additional cost.
- Electricity usage information can be displayed online allowing multiple user interfaces.
- Flexible billing system allowing tariff customisation for individual users. All billing will be taken care of by Solar Switch.