Solar Power
Upgrade Loans
Cashflow neutral loans for environmental upgrades
- Loans fully novate-able (tied to building)
- No capital or security required
- Costs can be shared between owner and tenants
- Repayments collected through council rates
- 100% finance including hard and soft costs
Our Government Partners
How It Works:
Solar Power Upgrade Finance
Are you looking to upgrade your building with solar power? If so, then an Environmental Upgrade Agreement might be right for you. Through our goverment endorsed program, you can access discount finance that is tried to the building not the owner. No capital or security required!
Loans for solar power upgrades are often cash neautral, meaning the money you’ll save on elecricity offsets the cost of the the loan. This allows you to make those environmentally friendly building upgrades today without it hurting your cashflow!
What’s different from other loans?
- 100% project finance, including hard and soft costs.
- Repayments made via local council rates
- Repayments can be split between landlord and tenants
- Loan terms between 4 - 20 years
- No requirement for personal or business security
- No consent or approval required by existing financier
- Simple application process handled completely by our team
Who Can Apply?
The criteria for qualifications is simple, you just need:
- To be a business
- Own your own building
- The upgrades help the environment
This includes Agriculture, Commercial Office Building, Tourism and Commercial and Industrial properties.
Up-to
100%
finance
Loan terms
4-20
years
Check Availability in Your Area
Our finance is currently enabled in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Look up your address
to see if it's available to businesses in your council area.
Look Up Your Address Please enter your business street address, or council, so we can check if our finance is available there.
Example of Applicable Solar Upgrades
There is a wide of solar upgrades applicable for an environmental upgrade finance agreement. Below is a sample.
Solar Panels
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Battery Power Storage
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Lance Petersen
Hussey & Co
General Manager
“Since the last 99kW solar system was installed through EUF last year, our business has realised a $14,000 reduction in our power bills. We expect this new solar installation of 505 kW to multiply these savings five-fold.
“EUF has been a great way for our business to simply access finance with a favourable rate and term.”
Client
Hussey & Co
Council
Installation Partner
Project Overview
Hussey & Co is a lettuce farm on the Morning Peninsula that delivers quality produce to Australia and overseas. With 74 acres of land, multiple sheds and industrial processing facilities, it relies heavily on energy to stay in business.
Problem
Energy consumption was paralysingly high, and with prices increasing this posed a significant threat for the company to stay price competitive with outside competitors.
Upgrade
After initially installing a roof-mounted system and realising $14k pa of savings, Hussey & Co were so impressed they decided to take out another EUA almost immediately for a ground-mounted system.
- Stage 1: 99.64kW system
- Stage 2: 505kW system
- Total: 887kW total solar PV array
Outcome
The solar upgrades saved over $86,000 / year in electricity costs. It also cuts 754 tonnes of carbon emissions, which is the equivalent of taking 161 cars off the road each year.
Roni Karika
Impact Investment Group
Senior Asset Manager
“EUAs provide a low-cost capital option.”
Client
Impact Investment Group
Council
Project Overview
Impact Investment Group acquired 401 Collins St in 2014 with the intention of transforming it into a prime blue-chip address.
Problem
401 Collins St is an iconic art-deco building in the heart of Melbourne’s banking district. Built more than 80 years ago in 1936, it has aged significantly and lacks modern features. It’s NABERS rating of 2.5 was seen as a barrier to securing a strong, long-term tenant.
Upgrade
Restoration began in 2017. Finance for the environmental works were sourced via an EUA (Environmental Upgrade Agreement), while the funds for other renovations were sourced via a traditional bank loan. This combination of two lenders provided diversity to Impact’s capital stack at an affordable rate.
- Chiller replacement
- Pipework insulation
- Outside air system upgrade
- Toilet exhaust system upgrade
- BMS upgrade
- Electrical sub metering
Outcome
Since completing the renovations, Impact Investment Group have successfully tenanted the building to co-working franchise WeWork on a 15-year contract. In addition, power bills for the property have significantly reduced – electricity by 32% and gas by 16%.
Kevin Minogue
Minogue Dairy Farm
Owner
“The process for applying was really simple actually… It was just a phone call. Sustainable Australia Fund sent me the required paperwork and virtually did all the correspondence with the council; it was really straightforward.”
Client
Minogue Dairy Farm
Council
Greater Shepparton City Council
Project Overview
For the Minogue Dairy Farm in Shepparton, a blackout in November 2017 led to loss of production over a period of 6 weeks when milking was at its peak. To make matters worse, his livestock experienced health issues associated with the inability to milk them.
Upgrade
Kevin used the opportunity to rethink how the dairy farm could overcome power outages in the future and decided to look into solar energy. Not only would this provide a battery back-up should an outage occur, it would also provide cost savings to the business over time.
After attending a seminar, Kevin reached out to Sustainable Australia Fund for advice and support. We supported him through the process to ensure all his questions and needs were met.
- 20kw solar panel system
- 40kWh LG Chem Lithium battery
Outcome
With financial impact to the business his biggest concern, Kevin calculated whether the figures would stack up. The great news is that after installing the new solar system, the farm is 90% self-sufficient and Kevin is feeling confident in the future. No longer will he need to worry about significant disruptions to business operations.
Chris Langdon
HJ Langdon
CEO
“I now have peace of mind that a certain portion of my energy bill will not be affected by any increases in energy bills, and that gives me a lot of confidence when planning for the future of the company. We want to be around for our 200th anniversary and beyond.”
Client
HJ Langdon
Council
Installation Partner
Project Overview
HJ Langdon is an Australian, fifth generation family owned specialist food company offering a range of ingredients, services and niche food products in Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand. The current trading premise was built in 2002 and contains refrigeration, storage, a humidifier, office and covers over 19,000 sqm. It’s an energy hungry facility that has been feeling the effects of increasing power bills.
Process
HJ Langdon engaged our partner Beon Energy Solutions to explore options to reduce their operating costs and move towards sustainability. Our team worked with Beon, the client and Brimbank City Council to arrange the finance and ensure the project moved quickly and smoothly. At the time of installation this was the largest EUF funded solar installation in Australia, and Brimbank City Council’s first EUF project.
Upgrade details
Installation of a 430.10kW mounted solar array. The project was funded by an Environmental Upgrade Agreement over 7 years.
Outcome
- $120k saved per annum
- 561.4 tCO2-e abated per annum
- Savings exceed repayments by 33%
Peter Houghton
Rye Hotel
Owner / Manager
“EUF is an opportunity to get ahead of the game, to assist businesses financially to manage their risk to the inevitable increases in future energy costs.
“We could never have come up with that kind of money to fund solar panels on our own, so we’re very grateful to Sustainable Australia Fund for their help and making that happen.”
Client
Rye Hotel
Council
Installation Partner
Project Overview
Rye Hotel is a well-established business which includes a bistro, café, beer garden, bar, function rooms and resort style hotel with conference facilities. The accommodation facilities include 13 beach-front plus 30 poolside suites. Owner and manager Peter Houghton had been planning the installation of solar panels at the site for some time, however, the main obstacle when contemplating a solar panel installation of this size was the upfront cost. EUF overcame this cost barrier, allowing the savings from reduced power bill to pay for the repayments.
Upgrade details
- 329 Solar Panels (88kW capacity)
- Electric Vehicle charging stations
Outcome
This upgrade resulted in a 25% immediate saving on accounts, allowing the savings to cover the loan repayments. The expected savings over the 25-year asset lifetime are $560k
Still Not Sure?
Want more information, but not ready to talk to anyone just yet? Download our helpful info pack with details exactly how EUF works, what works can be funded, the benefits for business owners, tenants and installers, and how it could benefit your business.
When you're ready to talk to us, fill out the enquiry form or give us a ring and one of our team will take you through each step of the process, to get your building upgrade underway.
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Now Available
New Fast Track Green Loan now available!
Our new Fast Track Green loan will deliver more speed, greater flexibility, and extra choices for our customers.
This includes:
+ Accelerated approval: With our Fast Track Green Loan, eligible businesses can secure up to $200,000 without the need to submit financials for faster approvals.
+ Fixed and Variable Rate Interest Options: All our eligible businesses can now choose an SAF green loan, including out Fast Track Green Loan with either a fixed or variable interest rate, providing the flexibility in funding you deserve.
Find out more and apply today!
Our new Fast Track Green loan will deliver more speed, greater flexibility, and extra choices for our customers.
This includes:
+ Accelerated approval: With our Fast Track Green Loan, eligible businesses can secure up to $200,000 without the need to submit financials for faster approvals.
+ Fixed and Variable Rate Interest Options: All our eligible businesses can now choose an SAF green loan, including out Fast Track Green Loan with either a fixed or variable interest rate, providing the flexibility in funding you deserve.
Find out more and apply today!