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Enie, a leading Dutch solar energy provider and registered B Corp enters the South African solar market with a new investment-free solar solution for schools, businesses and municipalities.
The Solar Revolution
All around the world, countries are making the transition towards solar energy. In the Netherlands, the solar energy market is still relatively small (around 3% of the energy mix) but increasing rapidly (48% last year). In the recent years, many businesses and households have switched to solar energy because of decreasing solar prices and increasing energy prices. Enie is one of the market leaders in offering solar lease solutions. The company is making a new move with the international expansion to South Africa.
Instability and increasing energy prices
This big step for the Dutch company makes sense in many ways. Enie’s founder and CEO Patrick van der Meulen, explains: ‘’The South African energy sector is mainly characterized by regular load shedding and power outage. Furthermore, non-renewable energy is known as a main source of carbon emissions and causes increasing energy costs for schools, businesses and households. We want to support South Africa to switch to solar energy because it offers a green, cheaper and more stable alternative for the current fossil generated energy’’.
A sunny alternative, without investments
The business’ mission is to make solar energy accessible to everyone; that is why the company opens doors in Cape Town this month. Patrick van der Meulen, former Cape Town resident, clarifies: “Solar energy has become a more secure, sustainable and cheaper source of energy than coal. Giving organizations the opportunity to choose for solar energy with zero upfront costs will help accelerating the energy transition in South Africa notably.”
Especially, organizations with a relatively high energy consumption will have the biggest benefit in going for solar energy. For instance, Agricultural businesses, Non-commercial (e.g. schools, hospitals), Commercial (e.g. bakeries, shop rites) and Residential estates tend to have high energy usage. This, along with usually large empty roofs, makes solar energy an ideal solution.” Patrick van der Meulen adds.
About Enie South Africa
Enie was founded in 2013 by the brothers Patrick (28) and Milan (26) van der Meulen after watching Al Gore’s documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. The head office (55 employees) is located in the Dutch energy capital Groningen. A second office is opened in Cape Town. Enie is specialized in solar energy and financing the energy transition. Since the foundation the company assisted over 12,000 households and hundreds of businesses to switch to solar energy. Enie is a B Corp social enterprise and is closely collaborating with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. The brothers belong to the top 3 best young entrepreneurs in The Netherlands, are part of the 100 most sustainable young people in the Netherlands and are public speakers about the climate crisis and transition to renewable energy.
