Clipsal launches new rooftop solar business

South Australian company Clipsal has expanded its business into the Australian rooftop solar industry, launching Clipsal Solar to target PV installations for households and small-business.

The new business will offer customers access to its Pulse app, which monitors the performance of the solar installation, as well as the household’s energy usage, providing greater visibility and control over household energy use and costs.

The software also draws on ‘big data’ and machine learning techniques to advise customers on how to optimise the value of their solar and storage installations.

”Clipsal Solar is stepping up to be the independent advisor South Australians can trust and rely on, to help them lower their electricity bills of around 50 to 80%. We want to help people turn sunny days into free electricity days,” Clipsal Solar CEO Preeti Bajaj said.

“We undertook one of the deepest customer research projects on domestic energy ever undertaken, so we could better understand what customers thought about energy, their bills, solar and the installation sector. We were astounded at the findings highlighting their confusion, mistrust and hesitation to make a decision.”

“We are a proud local business that provides electrical equipment and accessories for four out of every five Australian homes, and we understood we had an important role to play in helping South Australians transition to cheaper energy by using trusted and experienced Clipsal Solar accredited installers,” Bajaj added.

Clipsal was founded in South Australia almost 100 years ago, and emerged as a primary supplier of electrical components for the Australian market. French multinational Schneider Electric ultimately purchased a controlling share in Clipsal in 2004.

Schneider Electric has invested in Clipsal to facilitate the expansion in to rooftop solar, positioning the company as a provider of customised advice on how solar and storage can be used to substantially reduce household energy costs.

“Clipsal is a 99-year-old business of Schneider Electric that’s taking new technologies and making a real difference in peoples’ lives,” Schneider Electric’s Gareth O’Reilly said.

“Schneider Electric has provided venture funding to develop Clipsal Solar as a start-up business, nurtured by [Preeti Bajaj] and her team outside of our normal corporate structures.”

The entry of Clipsal into the rooftop solar market was welcomed by the South Australian Government, which sees it as a further step for the state in growing a thriving clean energy industry in the state.

“I welcome this innovative technology enabling South Australian families and small businesses to take greater control of their solar energy systems and reduce their electricity bills,” South Australian premier Steven Marshall said.

“Clipsal Solar’s initiative fits perfectly with the State Government’s policies to deliver cheaper, more reliable and cleaner electricity.

“Clipsal has a renowned culture of innovation with some of Australia’s best designers, engineers and developers working in Adelaide,” Marshall added.