Subscribe vs Own
Let's take a fresh look at solar.
We all know installing solar makes environmental and financial sense but not all solar solutions are equal. When selecting your solar provider, it's important to choose one that will deliver the most benefits to you.
solarZero offers a solar energy subscription service with no purchase costs and a fixed monthly fee that guarantees savings from the first year of installation. Compare this to buying a solar and battery system outright, which could take years to pay off, and leaves you exposed to rising power prices and all firmware and hardware repair and replacement costs.
How does solarZero compare to
owning your solar system or sticking with grid power?
Choosing the solarZero subscription can save you a significant amount of money over 20 years compared to buying a solar system outright or not having any solar option at all. Don’t believe us?
We’ve crunched the numbers and the difference between solarZero and sticking with 100% grid electiricty is around $40,000 over 20 years, and a saving of around $30,000 compared with purchasing a solar panel and battery system.
Why a 20-year period? Most PV solar panels generate electricity for 20-30+ years, so it is essential to review the costs and benefits of solar over that time. It is also important to look at the costs you will still incur from grid power.
What drives these numbers?
The numbers are driven by four key factors:
With a subscription, there are no hardware, repair or replacement costs.
Up to 75% of your costs are guaranteed to never increase.
The remaining 25% of energy costs are at price-protected rates.
solarZero has negotiated great energy buy-back rates.
Compare the benefits of solarZero
with ownership
^If you use reticulated or bottled gas in the home you may still qualify to become a solarZero customer however your grid & bottled energy will not be Toitū certified climate positive.
FAQ's
Exactly what is included in the Subscription Fee?
Powerco customers northern Coromandel:
- Access to 100% Toitū climate positive certified energy^
- All the solar power generated at your place is available for you to use, store, or sell to the grid.
- 10.8kWh of battery storage, available exclusively for your personal use 355 days of the year.
(If you are part of Powerco may draw on your batteries 5-10 days a year to keep the lights on for the entire community)
- Special grid power rates with Ecotricity (or Pulse Energy)
- 24/7 system monitoring and optimisation to maximise the benefits to you.
- All necessary repairs and hardware replacements
- Unlimited technical and customer service support
- Back up power when the grid goes down
The remainder of the Coromandel:
- Access to 100% Toitū climate positive certified energy^
- All the solar power generated at your place is available for you to use, store, or sell to the grid.
- 5.4kWh of battery storage, available exclusively for your personal use 365 days of the year.
- Special grid power rates with Ecotricity (or Pulse Energy)
- 24/7 system monitoring and optimisation to maximise the benefits to you.
- All necessary repairs and hardware replacements
- Unlimited technical and customer service support
- Back up power when the grid goes down.
^ If you use reticulated or bottled gas in the home, you may still qualify to become a solarZero customer. However, your grid & bottled energy will not be 100% renewable or Toitu climate positive certified.
How much is the subscription fee?
The subscription fee price ranges from $95 - $180 per month +GST and will equate to 75% of your energy costs. This price is fixed, no other energy provider is guaranteeing to fix the price of 75% of your electricity.
How do you guarantee cheaper electricity for the next 20 years?
The essence of the solarZero energy service is our cost structures are underpinned by generating renewable electricity where it is being used. The sun is not charging us a generation fee, and we are not transporting power around the country therefore, our costs for up to 75% of our energy service are known and well understood.
For the remaining 25%, we switch you to a Time of Use lines charge plan and then actively use the battery to ensure you are using the cheapest rates possible. We also ensure that grid energy is used at the lowest cost times, 24/7, allowing us to provide a price-protected energy price that is less than 50% of the national average energy price. We add no margin to the energy price and lines charges that we pass through to the customer, so customers are effectively enjoying wholesale energy rates.
For these reasons, we can deliver you cheaper electricity rates now and for the next 20 years. Cheaper energy from our 100% renewable energy platform delivers our Guaranteed Annual Savings
Why is it a 20-year subscription?
A big reason we can guarantee lower prices for electricity for 20 years is that we harness the sun's power. Solar panels last for well over 20 years; it would be environmentally irresponsible to offer a service where panels were removed before we have maximised their usefulness.
This enables us to lock in 75% of your energy costs at a cheaper rate than you can purchase from an electricity retailer. Because the sun doesn’t charge per kW and we are not moving electricity around the country.
Finally, we shoulder all debt relating to the solar hardware and have a fleet of solar engineers, electricity specialists, and technicians on staff; 20 years is also how long we need to generate the profit our shareholders require.
solarZero is the nation’s leading solar energy services company. Over the past 35+ years it has put more solar systems on Kiwi homes and businesses than any other company. It was the first solar company in the world to achieve carboNZero certification and is still the only solar energy services business in NZ with that green credential. solarZero is one of the fastest growing green companies in New Zealand and is one of the Government’s Focus 500 companies that are targeted to contribute significant benefits to the New Zealand economy.