Indigenous-owned EPC Solar has made its first foray overseas into Fiji in pursuit of a strategy to help accelerate the shift to renewable energy by making solar and storage technology more accessible to individuals and businesses.
The Canberra-based business, which has more than 50 years of combined experience with ‘cutting-edge, renewable energy technology’, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide solar products to Musket Cove, Plantation Island and Lomani Island Resort.
Another MoU, with Canberra-based ONA coffee, will see the Australian company provide 100% renewable power for its new coffee factory in Rakiraki, Fiji. The company has a pipeline of more than 40 potential installation sites in Fiji.
EPC Solar’s next focus will be on New Zealand and then other Pacific nations — islands it says will bear the brunt of climate change and rising sea levels.
The launch into Fiji was supported by Austrade and the ACT Government.
EPC Solar has been growing steadily over the past three years, with projects in every Australian state and territory except Tasmania. And while Pacific nations are not always the first port of call for Aussie businesses going global, for EPC Solar, Fiji was the logical first step.
Fiji has a stable political climate, and it’s accessible via a direct flight from Canberra. But more importantly, it has an ambitious target for 100% renewable energy by 2036 and buy-in from the community.
Fijian people are proud and protective of their home, yet many remote businesses rely on diesel generators for their power, which are “unreliable, expensive and bad for the environment”, says EPC Solar Commercial Manager Lucas Sena.
Sena says the partnerships are about sustainable development, local economic growth, and renewable energy adoption in the Pacific.
“By integrating solar and battery solutions, we’re reducing reliance on diesel, cutting emissions, providing savings on electricity costs, and proving that clean energy can drive industrial innovation,” Sena says.
EPC Solar was founded in 2014 by Daryn Stocks in partnership with wife of 20 years Carla Stocks, a proud Kitja woman and descendant of the Stolen Generation of the East Kimberley. Together they have grown the company into a national provider of renewable energy solutions.
Sena says as a majority-owned Indigenous business, the company offers renewables solutions for commercial properties, including rooftop installation, battery storage, microgrids and EV chargers.
Through its Kali Pathways program, EPC Solar aims to provide training and support for Indigenous people building careers in the renewables industry. When working in remote communities, the team also helps train local workers in installation and maintenance.
EPC Solar helps corporations reduce their carbon emissions, save on electricity costs, and hit their sustainability goals. It does this through innovative business structures and financing options that reduce, or even eliminate, upfront costs.
Through its network of partners, EPC Solar offers solar loans, as well as its flagship Power Purchase Agreement. Under this agreement, the provider owns and maintains the system, with payments linked to the amount of electricity produced.
It’s an avenue for upgrading infrastructure, Sena says, without significant capital expenditure, and is available to corporate or government entities. Effectively, clients simply shift from paying a grid energy provider to paying a solar provider, at a lower rate.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Austrade & EPC Solar
