What Smart Commercial Solar does

Smart Commercial Energy is an Australian commercial solar and energy services provider headquartered in North Sydney. Founded in 2012 by Huon Hoogesteger with $1,000 of initial capital and bootstrapped to date, the company designs, finances, installs, and operates distributed energy assets for enterprise customers. As of the most recent data, it has deployed over 200MW of capacity across approximately 1,500 customer sites and manages around 1,200 assets through long-term operations and maintenance contracts, generating an estimated $20.5M of customer energy savings in 2023. Named reference customers include Bunnings Warehouse (16.1MW deployment), McCain Foods (7.5MW), Carlton & United Breweries, Frasers Property, Officeworks, and Darrell Lea, indicating penetration across retail, FMCG, property, and food processing verticals.

The company's product stack spans the full commercial distributed energy value chain: rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV, commercial battery storage, the proprietary Smart Stack battery monetization platform, EV charging infrastructure, microgrids, and PPA financing operated through its affiliated vehicle ClearSky Solar Investments (established 2013). Underpinning these services is the Smart Active remote monitoring platform running across the monitored asset base and an AI Battery Calculator used to size storage systems and forecast customer ROI. In 2024, SunWiz named the company Australia's #1 Commercial Battery Storage Installer, and in 2025 it delivered what is described as the world's first all-female commercial solar installation for Officeworks. The platform was rebranded from Smart Commercial Solar to Smart Commercial Energy in 2025 to reflect this broadened scope.

The business model blends project-based installation revenue with recurring PPA yields, asset management fees, and monitoring services. Approximately $80M of PPAs sit under management via ClearSky, providing multi-year revenue visibility and a financing ecosystem that allows project origination to exceed what balance sheet capital alone would support. The go-to-market is direct enterprise sales targeting multi-site corporates and property portfolios, complemented by project finance partnerships. Customers are segmented across large enterprise corporates, property developers, and government/institutional buyers, with the most recent strategic extension being a May 2026 MOU with the Republic of Nauru for microgrid and renewable infrastructure development — the company's first disclosed international engagement.

Name

Smart Commercial Solar

Legal name

Smart Commercial Energy

Website

https://smartcommercialsolar.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smart Commercial Energy is an Australian commercial solar and energy services provider serving enterprise customers with solar PV, battery storage, EV chargers, microgrids, and PPA financing across approximately 1,500 sites and 200MW deployed.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Solar Energy Solutions

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid PPAs (Renewables + Storage) & Firm Renewable Products (EUAGADAI), Hybrid Microgrids (Solar+Storage+Gen, Multi-Resource) (EUACALAH)

Keywords

• Commercial solar systems
• Battery storage solutions
• Power purchase agreements
• Commercial energy management
• Asset management services

Headquarters

HQ city

North Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Power Purchase Agreements (PPA): Smart installs solar systems at no upfront cost to customers and bills for electricity generated at a fixed competitive rate, typically lower than retail electricity prices. Customers save 10%+ on energy bills immediately. 5-10 year PAYG plans with buyout options.
2. Solar System Sales (CAPEX): Direct purchase of solar systems by commercial businesses. Average return exceeds 18% per annum with break-even in 3-6 years. Government rebates of approximately 30% off system cost available through STCs for systems under 100kW.
3. Finance/Lease: Equipment leasing or chattel mortgage arrangements with fixed repayments typically lower than energy savings, resulting in cash-positive outcomes from day one. Lease terms of 5-7 years at 6-7% interest.
4. Asset Management Services: Ongoing operations and maintenance, monitoring, and optimisation services for installed solar systems. Free 5-year monitoring included with performance guarantees.
5. Carbon Accounting Services: Carbon accounting and ESG reporting services helping businesses measure, track and report emissions for regulatory compliance and sustainability goals.
6. Battery Storage Solutions: Battery storage installations that can generate additional revenues through energy arbitrage, VPP participation, and FCAS market services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smart Commercial Energy designs, installs, finances, and maintains commercial solar PV systems, battery storage, EV chargers, solar car shades, and microgrids for Australian businesses. The company delivers full-service energy solutions through direct purchase, finance/lease, or Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), combined with proprietary monitoring (Smart Active), battery monetisation (Smart Stack), and carbon accounting services.

Product overview

Smart Commercial Energy offers a comprehensive commercial energy solutions portfolio anchored by Commercial Solar systems and Battery Storage solutions. The core offering includes Smart Stack (battery monetisation), EV Chargers, Solar Car Shades, and Micro-Grids. Supporting services include Smart Active (monitoring), Asset Management, Carbon Accounting, Solar Finance, and the Smart Battery Calculator tool. The company operates a unified platform approach where hardware solutions (solar, batteries, EV chargers) are complemented by software and services (monitoring, carbon accounting, financing) to deliver end-to-end commercial energy management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Solar Commercial solar PV solutions spanning from initial feasibility assessment through project delivery, designed to maximise solar potential matching energy needs and business goals for commercial customers.
• Battery Storage Battery storage solutions enabling businesses to harness excess solar energy and generate additional revenues while safeguarding against rising energy costs.
• Smart Stack Battery Monetisation Proprietary battery monetisation solution enabling businesses to generate revenue from their battery assets through grid services and Virtual Power Plant (VPP) participation, including FCAS markets.
• Commercial EV Chargers Commercial electric vehicle charging solutions for businesses seeking to support EV charging on commercial premises.
• Solar Car Shades Solar canopy structures installed over carparks that generate electricity while providing shaded parking areas for commercial properties.
• Micro-Grids Microgrid systems providing integrated energy solutions for businesses seeking localised power generation and resilience.
• Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) PPA model enabling businesses to access clean energy without upfront costs, with Smart designing, installing, and maintaining solar systems at fixed competitive rates typically 10%+ below retail electricity rates over 5-10 year contracts.
• Smart Active Solar Monitoring State-of-the-art solar monitoring service providing complete visibility into solar system performance with real-time data analytics and output analysis, functioning as a personal assistant for solar systems.
• Asset Management Services Comprehensive asset management services for solar installations including ongoing operations, maintenance, monitoring, and optimisation with free 5-year monitoring included with performance guarantees.
• Carbon Accounting Services Carbon accounting and emissions measurement, tracking, and reporting services to help businesses meet sustainability reporting requirements and ESG disclosure obligations.
• Solar Finance Flexible financing options including CAPEX purchase, finance/lease (5-7 years at 6-7% interest), and PAYG solar to suit different business investment preferences, structured to be cash-positive from day one.
• Smart Battery Calculator Free AI-powered tool that analyses uploaded energy bills to show battery payback periods, rebate savings, and annual returns within seconds, helping businesses evaluate solar and battery investments.
• Upgrades & Optimisation Energy management and system optimisation services to enhance performance of existing solar installations, including upgrades and demand-charge management.
• Energy Rebates & Incentives Assistance Assistance with energy rebates and incentives including STCs (Small-scale Technology Certificates), LGCs (Large-scale Generation Certificates), and government incentive programs, which can provide approximately 30% off system cost.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200MW total capacity installed
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Republic of NaurumajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Historic MOU signed May 7, 2026 at the Smart Energy Conference for energy solutions partnership. Smart will help Nauru advance renewable energy and energy independence goals as part of the world's smallest island nation's clean energy transition.
• ClearSky Solar Investments (CSSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Not-for-profit social enterprise linking community investors with quality solar projects. Established by Smart Commercial Energy in 2013, ClearSky is the most successful community-funded PPA provider in Australia. This partnership model enables community investment in commercial solar while expanding Smart's project pipeline.
• NetNadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NetNada for carbon footprint tracking and measurement. Smart Commercial Energy uses NetNada's platform to accurately track and report Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions as part of their sustainability commitment. NetNada provides the carbon accounting infrastructure enabling Smart to offer ESG reporting services to customers.
• Solar AnalyticssupportingTechnology or IntegrationMonitoring partner for solar system performance tracking. Systems are monitored using Solar Analytics providing detailed feedback from inverters and easy access for customers to track solar generation and performance.
• SMA (Solar Inverters)supportingTechnology or IntegrationEquipment partner providing inverters for solar installations. Smart uses SMA inverters (16 SMA inverters in Warilla Bowls case study) for reliable system performance.
• Trina SolarsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPanel manufacturer partner providing high-efficiency solar panels. Uses Trina DuoMax frameless 'glass on glass' modules that minimize grime buildup and integrate seamlessly with roof designs.
• Enphase EnergysupportingTechnology or IntegrationMicroinverter technology provider. Smart installs microinverters that optimise for each panel individually, providing 5-15% increased power output and panel-level monitoring.
• Open CitiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of Open Cities initiative, likely related to smart city and urban energy solutions collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ShineHub: Australian commercial solar and battery provider serving mid-market and enterprise customers with PPA-style procurement. Direct overlap with Smart Commercial Energy in C&I solar, storage, and PPA-financed deployments.
• 5B: Australian commercial solar installer using prefabricated MAVERICK solar arrays. Targets the same C&I rooftop solar segment with multi-MW deployments and is one of the closest direct competitors to Smart Commercial Energy in Australian behind-the-meter solar.
• Tesla Energy: Global commercial solar + Powerpack battery storage provider including Megapack and VPP products. Competes with Smart in commercial storage and increasingly in integrated solar+battery PPAs at the multi-MW scale.

Broad incumbents

• AGL Energy: Australia's largest private energy company with significant commercial and industrial energy solutions including solar, batteries, and PPAs. Provides broad incumbent competition to Smart's commercial energy offering.
• Origin Energy: Major Australian energy retailer and generator with growing commercial solar and battery offerings. Competes with Smart in the enterprise commercial solar market as a vertically integrated incumbent.
• ENGIE Australia: Australian arm of global utility ENGIE with operations across renewable generation, retail energy, and distributed energy for commercial customers. Competes with Smart for large C&I energy and decarbonisation contracts.
• Iberdrola Australia: Subsidiary of global renewable energy major Iberdrola (formerly Infigen Energy). Operates large-scale wind and solar generation in Australia and increasingly targets C&I customers, competing with Smart for large enterprise renewable contracts.

Others

• NetNada: Carbon accounting platform partner used by Smart for its Smart Zero Carbon service. Adjacent ecosystem participant in the ESG reporting stack Smart offers to enterprise customers.
• Enphase Energy: Microinverter technology supplier that Smart installs in projects, but also offers its own commercial solar and battery solutions (IQ8, IQ Commercial). Represents both a supplier relationship and an emerging downstream competitor.
• ClearSky Solar Investments (CSSI): Not-for-profit community-funded solar investment entity co-founded by Smart Commercial Energy in 2013. Functions as a project-finance partner and community-funded PPA provider closely tied to Smart's commercial project pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoYJ07nxBznZO0hF6UlyNCw
• Facebookfacebook.com/smartcommercialsolar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartcommercialsolar
• Instagraminstagram.com/smart_commercial_solar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart Commercial Solar