-
We’d like to clarify how SolarCloud credits (technically disbursements) are applied to your energy account.
Monthly vs. Quarterly
You may still receive a monthly bill from your electricity or gas provider.
SolarCloud, however, applies your credits on a quarterly basis — in January, April, July, and October.
So look out in January for a credit......
Example
If you purchase SolarCloud panels (kW) in June, the first credit from those panels will appear on your energy bill after October, since that’s the next quarterly cycle.
Important Notes
Only active panels (kW) generate credits.
Deposits only (without active panels) do not create credits.
To ensure we can legally credit your account, please make sure you have:
Enter your correct energy account details in the SolarCloud dashboard.
Agreed to the Terms and Conditions on the dashboard (this is essential for us to process credits).
In short:
You’ll keep getting monthly bills, but SolarCloud applies credits every quarter.
Credits only come from active panels you’ve purchased.
Make sure your T&Cs are agreed and account details are correct in your dashboard.
-
SolarCloud passes on all rebates to you, whether that is STC’s or LGC’s. SolarCloud does NOT keep the rebates.
We claim all the rebates and grants available in all states or territories and this helps keep your cloud based solar panel cost low.
These subsidies create a NET cost for the installation or cost of the energy produced by the system.
The clients (both commercial and residential) receive a NET figure.
-
No, not at all. SolarCloud can work with any Australian electricity provider.
You never have to change unless you want to. If you do, simply update your details on your SolarCloud account on our website.
-
The easiest way to explain it is we remotely locate your solar and transfer the return on investment to you via your electricity account.
Please visit our how it works page.
A slightly longer explanation is it combines world first technology encompassing hardware and software with a unique renewable energy business model along with an ASIC registered investment scheme designed to benefit both consumers and commercial businesses.
SolarCloud works by individual investors purchasing solar that are installed on the roofs of commercial buildings. The electricity generated is purchased by the commercial host business or tenant and a return on investment delivered to the solar owner via monies transferred to their electricity account.
-
On a warranty period of 25 years the SolarCloud payback period would be approx 11-12 years.
Solar panels traditionally look at a life of 25 years with a payback period of 12 years.
We understand some people believe on roof solar has a shorter payback but we advice your to check ALL costs for the entire 25 years I.E how many times the inverter will; need to be replaced and what is the hardware and labor cost to do so. Plus the panels should be cleaned and inspected every year.
A SolarCloud 25 year cloud based panel warranty is a FULL 25 year warranty, including cleaning, maintenance, monitoring. This includes replacement inverters and panels to last the entire warranty period.
check out our comparison page
-
SolarCloud believe batteries are great, but right now, they are way too expensive and do not provide a good return on investment for the majority of residential customers.
SolarCloud supports battery technology and sees it as an important part of the sustainability and environmental solution in the future.
Currently batteries are only a solution for a small number of people who:
1. Already paying an extremely high kWh price
2. Do not mind paying a high capital upfront outlay on entire system
3. Plan to stay in the property for 25 years
4. Live in properties off the grid
5. Accept a shorter warranty life than approx. 16 years payback.
6. Understand that the battery will likely need replacing after 10 years, so you will need 3 lots of batteries to work alongside a 25 year panel life
Batteries are there to store the energy because it is not being consumed when it is produced.
-
If the email doesn’t arrive within a few minutes, please check your spam or junk folder.
If you’ve previously logged in or signed up using Google, Facebook, or Apple on this browser, we recommend using that same method again.
Sometimes browsers can be particular and may not recognise a manual login from the same email address used with a social sign-in, which can prevent a new code from being sent.
If you’ve checked all of the above and still don’t receive the code, contact our support team and we’ll help you get access quickly.
-
Returns start to accumulate immediately your solar is allocated and is subject to availability. This means when you place your order and we have solar available the returns start to accumulate straight away. But should we not have stock or the system is contracted but not finished your returns will start when the system is commissioned. All returns are logged for every site and audited so should the dashboard not show activity this does not always mean your solar is not active, it usually means the system is working but the monitoring API is not linked. In regards to credits** these are done quarterly.
You will most likely see a credit on your next electricity bill, however in some cases, the timing of your next electricity bill may be prior to our first disbursement. Don’t worry you definitely will see it on your next bill.
You can monitor your panel(s) and returns easily on the SolarCloud website.
-
SolarCloud have invested in obtaining the right licences and regulatory approvals so consumers and businesses are protected.
SolarCloud is an Australian company approved by the Australian Energy Regulator to sell electricity.
SolarCloud is registered by Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), SolarCloud scheme ARSN 612098110 to buy and manage solar panels on behalf of investors.
These licences and approvals make SolarCloud legally permitted to operate, reselling electricity and an investment product.
Key to gaining the ASIC registration was an independent trustee to look after the panels, panel owners investment and make sure the panel system continues to operate.
LLA Equity Pty Ltd is the trustee and manager of the invested funds and scheme. They are responsible for the all financial management including calculations and distribution of investors’ disbursements.
The money generated from selling the electricity generated from your panels is split 80-90% you and 10-20% SolarCloud.
SolarCloud does not have direct access to your money. We receive a percentage of revenue to cover the expenses for ongoing management, maintenance and insurance.
SolarCloud’s CEO and Board feel it is important for you to know we have done this the long way with licenses and auditor and ARSN for your protection.
Investment Risks: Returns from the SolarCloud Investment Scheme depend on solar generation, which is affected by weather patterns, panel performance degradation, and operational factors. While Australia's solar conditions are generally favourable, no investment returns can be guaranteed. Investors should carefully read the Product Disclosure Statement before investing and consider whether the product is appropriate for their financial situation and investment objectives. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
-
We are not transferring electricity, we are transferring something much easier – money.
See the ‘how it works’ page for more details or call us, we love a chat 02 9258 4000
-
SolarCloud is solar without the hassle. It enables everyone, living anywhere to have solar to reduce their energy bill without installing panels on their own roof. You must be over 18 and be able to afford $149.
-
With SolarCloud you do not require a roof. You can buy in small units of $149 at a time and build your system slowly. Also we can credit** any Australian energy company bill. Plus your solar effectively moves with you when you move house.
-
SolarCloud is for individuals and businesses who want to lower their electricity bills and do their bit for the environment.
SolarCloud is suitable for everyone including renters, share houses, investors, businesses and also people overseas.
-
Absolutely anyone, living anywhere can have SolarCloud solar panels.
You can live in apartment, flat, unit, retirement home or even a caravan.
You can own it, rent it, live in share accommodation or even at home with mum and dad.
You own the panels, and we bring the roof!
When you buy one or more panels, they are installed together with other investors panels on commercial buildings. We design and manage all the panels as part of one big solar system.
-
We have done successful test in Germany, Austria, The UK and the UAE.
During our launch phase however SolarCloud is concentrating on the Australian market.
We are happy to notify you when SolarCloud is available in your country. Please use our Contact Us form here.
-
Yes, you can. Anyone can buy SolarCloud solar panels to offset their energy costs. It works the same for a business as it does for everyone else.
-
Prices start from as little as $139 for one panel. This is a 100Watt cloud based panel and comes complete with inverter, cleaning, maintenance and monitoring, so it is essentially a 100Watt solar system.
People can buy as many solar panels as they want to offset their energy costs.
-
It is very simple. Think of it like Uber or Amazon, pretty much one click and it’s done. You can buy SolarCloud solar panels and monitor the credits to your energy bill conveniently from the SolarCloud website on your computer or smart phone.
-
The bigger your energy bill the more panels you will need.
SolarCloud has a simple calculator to help you work out how many panels it will take to offset part or all of your energy bill.
-
-
If a SolarCloud customer wishes to be refunded their deposit for whatever reason within 4 months we will refund the amount. No questions asked. After the balance has been paid we have a 10 business day refund policy.
-
You can calculate your estimated savings using the calculator on the SolarCloud website
Please always seek your own independent financial advice
-
SolarCloud is an investment in solar, not panels on your roof. With us, customers are receiving a return on their investment in solar and not the actual transfer of energy. So, it doesn’t matter when you use your power.
As we are dealing with the value of energy, we make sure you get the best overall value and return on investment by ensuring the power is used during the day, when solar panels are producing electricity.
SolarCloud makes the best use of the sun in relation to supply and demand.
-
Simply login to your SolarCloud account on our website to change your electricity account and address details.We’ll ensure your savings follow you wherever you go.
Click here for a step by step guide on how to change your linked energy account
-
You might be thinking SolarCloud sounds similar to a Community Solar project however with SolarCloud you own the panel(s) that offset your energy bill.
Consumers and businesses need to protect their investment by choosing a company which offers protection for the end user.
Small solar companies, community projects and solar farms are growing in numbers. Some are doing a great job but not all operate to the same standards. Some business models may be more risky and some do not have the appropriate level of licenses and authorisations in place to protect the end user and investors.
In simple terms the government have put in place layers of protection to protect all types of our investments. For example your superannuation can only use an appropriately registered superannuation fund.
SolarCloud believes you should be able to invest in solar but also have the peace of mind that your investment is safe and has strong layers of protection.
SolarCloud is approved by the Australian Energy Regulator to sell electricity.
SolarCloud is registered by Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), Solar cloud scheme ARSN 612098110 to buy and manage solar panels on behalf of investors.
These licences and approvals make SolarCloud legally permitted to operate, reselling electricity and an investment product.
We believe that the more levels of protection you can place around your investment the better.
SolarCloud are happy to work with the community projects and assist them so they don’t need to spend valuable dollars and time on additional legal requirements.
-
SolarCloud has registered a investment scheme with ASIC. SolarCloud has an independent trustee and manager of the invested funds and does not have direct access to your money.
We receive only a small percentage of approximately 10 – 20% of the revenue from electricity sold by the panels to cover all the expenses associated with the ongoing management, maintenance and insurance.
SolarCloud’s CEO and Board feel it is important for you to know that your investment is as safe as we can make it because of the protections we have put in place. With a non registered scheme then your investment is not as protected as it could be.
-
It couldn’t be simpler. If you can use a phone or the internet, you can use the SolarCloud system.
-
The short answer is it depends if you are at home all the time, only use power during the day and never use any energy at night, have the upfront capital to invest and intend to stay in that home for 25 years – then it makes some sense to put panels on your roof.
Traditional solar panels on a residential roof, only really work for a small number of people.
A lot of the time we are shown examples of people experiencing the higher end of solar savings. Typically, they might be retirees, people working in a home office environment, families’ home all day. These groups of people see greater overall savings because they use the power during the day when the sun is shining.
These people also usually adjust their power usage according to the time of day, dependant on their panel placement. For example if a solar system is installed on a roof facing east it is best to use the majority of the solar power in the morning. Facing west, is the afternoon, while a northern facing solar system best time of use is mid-morning through to the afternoon.
Additionally they would have changed their consumption habits and need to think about their usage. For example waiting till the dishwasher has completed its cycle before turning on the washing machine.
With SolarCloud the old limitations of up-front installation costs, maintenance, inverter replacement, right roof, roof damage, fire risk, weather damage, time of use, feed in tariff, movability and the list goes on, no longer apply.
-
Yes. Even if someone has existing solar panels on their roof they can benefit further from SolarCloud.
-
This is the number one comment from our customers.
Solar was always meant to be simple, green and affordable; we have simply made it easy for everyone, everywhere to buy and benefit from solar.
-
That’s because it’s similar to only installing one panel on your roof, which is only capable of generating a small amount of electricity and therefore cannot offset a lot off your bill.
Like all solar based products you need to look at it over 25 years. With SolarCloud you truly can because the returns continue even if you move.
We estimate one SolarCloud panel at $149 should return $342 over the term and its sustainable power. Yes, that’s only $13 per year, but it’s double what you paid for it.
Indicative example only
Click here to visit our indicative forecast page for more details
-
It’s a fair question. After all, what we’re doing has never been done before.
The simple answer? Yes, it’s real — and it took us six years just to get the correct financial and electricity licenses.
Before we could even start, we needed the correct lawyers to work out how we could do this and what laws and red tape we need to deal with across multiple jurisdictions — to operate legally and responsibly. Not so easy when you're explaining it and you are hearing "you want to do what and when and how". That alone was a multi-year and multi -million dollar process, because no one had ever combined global solar ownership and investment in this way before.
Then came the hard part:
Bringing together solar systems on different continents, with different rates, different indexing, different monitoring devices, different panels, different maintenance agreements, different languages, and different currencies.It takes time to get that right — and to make it simple enough for everyone to use.
Think of it this way: Netflix started in 1997, and it took them years to become a household name. Innovation takes time, persistence, and belief.
SolarCloud operates under the oversight of LLA Equities Pty Ltd, an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL no. 229754) holder, who audits and oversees your investment in solar.
SolarCloud is a registered investment product (ARSN 612 098 110) — designed to let anyone over 18 and who can afford it, invest directly into solar around the world. -
SolarCloud is an Australian company that started as a simple idea five years ago when the now CEO John Kennedy was thinking about solar for his house and discussing it with a mate.
He calculated that an economical system wouldn’t fit on his roof and given he planned on moving within the next 5 years, it wouldn’t pay for itself in time.
He thought about putting it somewhere else, probably on his mate’s house (well actually his huge shed out the back) across the road – surely it would be easy to just send the power across the road to his house.
John discussed the idea with his good friend, who had been recently looking at the “sharing economy” (collaborative consumption) space, to improve asset use to generate better returns and reduce wastage.
After working on it for quite some time, fast forward to where SolarCloud is today – a system that makes sure solar panels are installed at the best location to match the production of electricity during the day, with the usage of a business. Due to the better usage of power and reduced wastage, businesses can save money on their power, and the panel owners get a better return from their panels. It really is win, win, and it’s the smart way to go solar.
-
-
SolarCloud currently accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Crypto.
We are also happy to accept Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). If this is your preferred method of payment please contact us on +61 2 8458 4000.
-
Don’t panic, you are not alone. Unlike traditional solar, with SolarCloud you can always buy one kilowatt or even one single panel at a time and add more panels anytime to grow your investment over time.
-
On purchase you receive a confirmation email with the following:
1. Receipt
2. Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)
3. How it works and how to Link your energy account to your SolarCloud cloud based panels
Your solar is allocated from our existing solar systems.
Your cloud based solar are part of real solar systems part of the Commercial host system start creating energy onsite and the host client is invoiced for the energy use.
SolarCloud Scheme funds manager LLA Equity Pty Ltd checks and authorises the disbursement to you, quarterly.
At this time, you will see a credit on your energy bill.
-
These are an Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) requirements for all registered financial products.
They confirm you are applying to include your cloud based solar panel/s in the Solar Cloud Scheme to earn a financial return and agree for LLA Equities Limited to manage it for you.
They are much like the terms and conditions you agree to with any company you enter into a financial contract with, for example, the company that manages your Superannuation fund, allowing them to invest your money.
-
The return available is affected by many things including weather, climate, orientation, power sale price achieved, and the other risks described in the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
The rate of return to an investor is not set to any one site – it is intended that the returns from each site will be pooled to minimise an investor’s exposure to any one site. Also, the rate of return will differ from year to year, particularly as the output of panels degrades slightly from year to year.
The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) calculated on our web site pages is based on a 25 year term, 29.76 kW system purchased at $1.82 per Watt, with system output of 134 kWh per day (based on Helioscope yield calculations for Jinko 320 watt panels with a Fronious inverter in Mudgee NSW, oriented north with 15 degrees tilt), 100% of the system output sold at a base price 11.2c/kWh with price escalation of 2% per annum, 95% availability of system, panel degradation of 0.6% per annum, and with management, operation and maintenance costs of 20% gross revenue.
The actual characteristics, costs and returns of each site will differ from this, but SolarCloud believes this is a reasonable indicative forecast of the potential returns from the pool based on currently available information.
This IRR is indicative only, and not a guaranteed or minimum return.
-
Like any financial product and investment including your superannuation, you should always seek independent legal and financial advice.
-
The returns from your panel/s is currently classed as income in Australia and you will need to seek your own independent financial advice.
SolarCloud is in the process of applying for a tax exemption ruling to bring SolarCloud panel/s returns in line with feed-in tariff (FiT) in Australia which is not classed as income.
We will let you know when this tax status changes. In the meantime, we recommend you seek your own independent financial advice.
-
Most solar products have an end life after 25 years and SolarCloud solar panels are no different in that respect.
-
SolarCloud have several contract lengths being 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years. This has been predetermined by the individual installation required for a specific site in accordance with the Power Purchase Agreement between SolarCloud and the Commercial Host client.
Like with all solar products once the end of life is reached the solar panels will need to be replaced and hence you will need to purchase a new panel/s and continue enjoy the same savings off your energy bill.
-
No, your SolarCloud panels are behind the meter, meaning it is NOT reliant on the grid.
SolarCloud helps the grid by taking the daytime pressure off it, through providing solar energy directly to Commercial Host sites that would otherwise be drawing power.
-
Yes, they are all 100 Watts unless specified.
-
No, you can not choose where the panel is located and it makes no difference because the returns are pooled across all locations in the SolarCloud scheme.
The pooling is beneficial as we all share it the benefits I.E should you own one panel and the system is not pooled and your panel has a fault which is replaced under its warranty then you would loose that production for the time it takes us to replace the panel. But with a pooled system you would not see any loss as that one panel being down for a few days is only one panel among millions potentially generating energy for SolarCloud panel owners.
-
SolarCloud is more efficient due to placement of panels and no loss of land. Plus the behind the meter model we use means much less degradation of energy, in the transfer.