Transparency, a detailed analysis of the return on investment, tailored solutions and the search to always be at the forefront in terms of the services offered are characteristics that the Algarve company Solar One is proud to have. They will also be the ideal attributes to show at the fair «Better Living In Portugal» (BLIP), which will take place Saturday and Sunday (October 6th and 7th) at Portimão Arena and in which Solar One will be one of the exhibitors.
This is a fair organized by AFPOP – Association of Foreign Owners in Portugal and an event to be present for Portuguese companies that want to get closer to the market of foreigners residing in Portugal, particularly in the Algarve. An opportunity to sow seeds for the future, he admitted to Sul Informação the co-founder and owner of Solar One Pedro Soares.
“We were at the fair last year and enjoyed it a lot. It has a good attitude and organization and has great penetration in the foreign market, which somehow looks for what we offer, which is quality and reliability. We already have many facilities with foreigners and we have a good relationship with them», revealed Pedro Soares.
The Algarve company offers solutions in the area of renewable energies, mainly energy production and water heating, that is, photovoltaic and solar thermal installations. “We work, essentially, with solar energy. Although we are a renewable energy company, here in the Algarve, apart from the Barlavento, where wind power can be applied, it is almost all Solar, it is the most interesting in terms of return», he explained.
In some cases, the offer is truly innovative and can even be said to be prospective, as it adapts to the changes that the renewable energy sector is going through. One of the products that the company will highlight in Portimão are photovoltaic solutions for self-consumption. In this case, the installation does not have as its main objective the production of electrical energy to be injected into the network, but rather to supply a home network and make it as self-sufficient as possible.
The idea is that each one installs a solution tailored to their needs, being able to only place «two or three panels», a solution that, with the lower price of the technology, «is already economically viable» these days. An alternative to “micro and mini-generation, which are total sales solutions to the network in a subsidized regime”. A microgeneration installation currently costs "around 10 thousand euros and has an average of 20 panels".
As Pedro Soares recalled, despite the micro and mini-generation being subsidized, the licenses for the first, the one that most individuals and small businesses have the financial capacity to access, were reduced «by 60 percent» in 2012. This led to which have sold out "as early as February", as this is an investment with a "very interesting" return. Furthermore, this is a gift that «should end next year».
An installation designed for self-consumption will not allow the benefit of state allowances, but if well dimensioned, it will allow substantial savings to those who invest in them. Furthermore, it is not subject to the same licenses as micro and minigeneration. To a photovoltaic electrical installation of this kind (like any other) there is always the possibility of adding batteries, in order to avoid using the grid energy as much as possible.
Eventually, it will be possible for those who opt for self-consumption solutions to sell to the network, with the launch of legislation in this regard "in February". In this case, the price to be paid will not be subsidized and, at most, the producer will be able to reach a zero balance at the end of the year, but never receive a financial return for the energy he supplies to the network.
Reduction of subsidized regime has created many difficulties
The reduction of licenses for micro and mini-generation and the announced end of subsidies is a “very serious” situation that has meant that many small and medium entrepreneurs working with renewable energy have had to close their doors or give up on the area. So far, Solar One has managed to overcome the problem, despite being «passing the raisins of the Algarve (laughs)», largely due to its attitude towards the market and a concern with the innovation of the products it offers and with marketing.
A good example is the Winter Campaign for domestic hot water heating that will be carried out at the BLIP fair. With the arrival of cold weather and the predictable “increase in energy consumption”, people are more open to investing in solutions that allow them to save in the long term.
“We think this is a good time for people to think about saving, as they will soon notice the difference in consumption. We are running a campaign with good prices, which we are going to see if it is well received», he said. Here, too, the company is available to find tailor-made solutions, for example, "if people already have a water heater, it can be used".
Solar One insists on «not selling a pig in a poke»
Founded in 2008, Solar One was designed from the ground up. “From the beginning, we stipulated what our values would be, what we wanted from the company and the products we were going to sell. And we have always maintained this course. 2009 was the year in which we had our first profits and since then it has always been growing, in terms of turnover», he revealed.
One of the values that the company assumed from the beginning was an ethical approach to the market, from the perspective that it is better to be transparent and put all your cards on the table than to disappoint customers and gain a bad reputation with potential investors. A posture highly valued by the company's customers, especially foreigners, who place great value on trust, "because they are afraid of being deceived."
«We have a very transparent posture in the design of the solution and in the choice of materials. One of the values we have is not selling a pig in a poke. If that doesn't work, if the person has a roof facing North, we advise that they will produce much less, but if you want, you can do it. We give a lot of financial information in the proposals, such as the annual production and when the investment pays off», said Pedro Soares.
In addition to Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic, Solar One has in its list of services the central heating with solar energy/heat pumps and the certification and energy audits, among others.
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