After establishing itself in the electric vehicle charging and vehicle-as-a-service (VaaS) space, Petronas’ green energy arm Gentari has just added another service into its name: home solar systems. Made possible through cooperation with SOLS Energy, the company is now offering home solar subscription service to consumers.
Said to be the first of its kind in Malaysia, there is no upfront payment needed to install the solar system according to SOLS Energy’s website. The same applies to the components within the solar system such as the PV panels, inverter, and DC cables.
Aside from the zero upfront fees, the subscription service also includes free maintenance and insurance for as long as 20 years. The solar panel themselves also come with a 20-year warranty.
In terms of the monthly subscription, it was not clearly defined on the website aside from that customers are being charged based on the amount of energy that is generated by the solar system. Specifically, the monthly rate is RM0.46 per kWh according to the FAQ section of the website.
As a comparison, the TNB tariff for domestic users currently ranges from around RM0.22 to RM0.57 per kWh. While there is no upfront fee for both installation and equipment, customers still have to hand over a security deposit of RM1,500 although this fee is refundable.
Do note that you still have to pay your TNB bill even if you decide to sign up for Gentari’s new home solar subscription service. In other words, you will receive two energy-related bills each month for your home with one being your TNB electricity bill while the other one is the Gentari – SOLS Energy solar system subscription bill.
Just that your TNB bill should be lower than usual as the excess energy generated by the solar system will go back to the grid to offset the cost. According to the FAQ, the estimated savings that one can get from a typical 11.48kW solar system are up to 15% on a monthly basis or 40% annually.
As interesting as this service might be, there are still several questions that have not been answered by the website such as the minimum contract period and monthly subscription fee. There is also the question of why customers are not being provided with the option to increase the size of their solar system in the future if the need arises.
We have since reached out to Gentari representatives to obtain further information regarding its new home solar subscription service. So, stay tuned for more.
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