Greening a company with solar panels, without taking out a loan. It seems too good to be true, but the Barneveld company Energy Shift has been making it possible since this week. A first in the Netherlands.
Energy Shift devised 'Smart Finance' together with investment platform Solar panelsShare. "At the beginning of this year we noticed that some entrepreneurs were becoming more reluctant to apply for financing for solar panels," says Theo Hartgers, financial director of Energy Shift. They still saw the great benefits of solar panels, but did not dare to take out an additional loan on behalf of their company during the first, uncertain corona months.'
Smartly Financed
Thanks to the smart, tax solution - assessed and approved by an accountancy firm - entrepreneurs no longer have to use their own money or borrowing capacity from the bank for an investment in solar panels. They buy their own solar panel installation, but the investment is financed through a new project BV to be set up by partner party ZonnemetaalDelen.
The specialists at ZonnepanelenDelen and Energy Shift arrange the project from A to Z, both technically and financially, while retaining their own control. Theo Hartgers: "The entrepreneur benefits from all the benefits (financial and sustainability) of solar panels, but the loan for the investment is not in the name of his company. So it retains its ability to borrow for other important business investments, such as a new warehouse or land expansion.”
Roof as a source of income
According to Hartgers, solar panels are a successful business case for any entrepreneur with a roof area of more than a hundred square meters and a large-scale consumption connection. "You contribute to the environment and turn your roof into a source of income." He points to the combination of attractive subsidies, energy savings and the sale of unused generated electricity to the energy company. “Solar panels are always a good choice, because they make you as a company less dependent on the vagaries of the economy. Even when the economy is going down, the sun continues to shine.”
New chance for subsidy
At the end of November, the national government opens a subsidy tap of 5 billion euros (SDE++). Hartgers: “At Energy Shift we take care of the entire application process free of charge. After the subsidy has been awarded, an entrepreneur has 1,5 years to have the solar panels installed. If he ultimately decides not to do so, it will have no further consequences.”
More information via smartfinanced.nl