Press Release: SUSI Partners closes second investment in Australia

SUSI Partners closes second investment in Australia enabling community-focussed solar and energy storage solution

• SUSI Partners funds new project in Western Australia aggregating residential solar PV and battery systems in partnership with local communities
• Systems enable participating home owners to generate and consume clean energy for their own needs
• Award-winning programme rolled out by local Western Australian developer Starling Energy Group under the Plico Energy brand

Zug/Zurich, 14 November 2019 – As part of a broader collaboration with Starling Energy Group, SUSI Partners – through its SUSI Energy Storage Fund – is investing up to AUD 50 million in a first roll-out, combining residential rooftop solar PV and battery storage systems with the aim to build Australia’s largest portfolio of its kind.

The project, delivered by Starling Energy Group under the dedicated Plico Energy brand, will be deployed gradually, enabling participants from communities across Western Australia to generate and consume their own clean power, thus significantly decarbonising and lowering the cost of their energy mix.

Under the programme, home owners will be provided with solar panels installed on their rooftop as well as a battery storage unit, together with monitoring and management services. The architecture of the project allows for the aggregation of individual systems into a virtual power plant (VPP), with an objective to support the local grid.

The innovative equity structure of the project allows for a share of the proceeds to be distributed to local communities to fund their initiatives, with the ultimate goal of transferring ownership of the platform to them.

Matteo Zanni, Director at SUSI Partners, comments: “This new investment exemplifies our holistic approach in financing the energy transition. By combining a community-focussed solution with the optionality of a VPP configuration, we place people at the center of the energy transition, while delivering fully contracted returns.”

Reflecting its unique features, the project was recently named “Energy Innovation of the Year” in the Australian Institute of Energy’s 2019 WA Energy Awards. It is the first of its kind in the region and marks SUSI Partners’ second transaction in Australia.

About SUSI Partners

SUSI Partners is a Swiss infrastructure fund manager specialising in sustainable investments supporting the energy transition. The firm currently manages over EUR 1 billion in investor commitments across five funds focused on opportunities in clean energy generation, energy efficiency enhancements, and energy storage and integrated solutions. With a successful track record of more than 100 transactions in 20 countries to date, SUSI Partners seeks to achieve attractive, stable and uncorrelated returns, while contributing to global climate targets by reducing CO2 emissions.

Media contact

Christiane Jelinek
Head of Communications
Phone: +41 44 533 57 89
Email: media@susi-partners.com

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