Solar power and alternative energy specialist Metrowatt, part of the 23 year old Myriad Capital group, is gearing its business beyond the supply and installation of alternative energy solutions. 

“Most consumers have grown up in an era where power was accessed with a flip of a switch, without a thought to its source or the energy consumption involved,” says David Neale, CEO of Metrowatt. 

“Ongoing load shedding and uncertainty of power supply is forcing us as South African consumers to rethink our energy needs, where they can be sourced and how our homes and businesses can best consume what is available cost effectively,” he adds.  

“This requires a mental shift and deliberate consciousness towards our energy utilisation, supported by tangible insights technology provides,” he says. 

To address this shift, Metrowatt has developed  a business model that signals a significant change in the way that South Africans solve problems around power outages in their homes. The model goes beyond simply installing solar panels, inverters or battery systems. 

Smart energy solutions and savings 

“We are looking at an entirely new paradigm. With power from Eskom likely to remain low and probably reduced over the next few years, South African consumers need to plan for what we call a ‘smart energy future’, where energy usage is accessed and managed differently, and is available at specific price and service points to a far wider spectrum of customers,” Neale says. 

Metrowatt’s Smart Energy Solutions offer solar, battery and inverter configurations that allow customers to balance their power needs and optimise their energy consumption patterns for maximum savings.  

“Each customer’s household need is assessed and a solution provided, with ongoing service support throughout the contract period. Customers are coached on how energy is used over the day, what it is used for and how it is monitored,” Neale says.  

“For example, an electric geyser will typically use between 5kWh and 15kWh of electricity per day. At least 5kWh of load can be shifted with smart switches to times where solar energy is available. It’s a small change with a big long term impact. Over 10 years, that change could save you over R50 000. That  is also without taking any interest or increases in electricity prices into account,” he says. 

Metrowatt’s range of alternative energy solutions allow residents the opportunity to expand the system at any time.

Quality standards and compliance 

According to Neale, local alternative energy regulations are still immature. Systems are often installed at below par in terms of quality and safety. The market too is peppered with fly-by-night operators.  Consumers pay for alternative energy systems in good faith, only to find no back up support in the event of faulty products or failures. 

“To address this, Metrowatt is applying quality standards, controls and support that we expect to see in a mature industry,” says Neale. 

Building smart homes 

Intrinsic to the company’s ethos is to secure top-drawer partners of both equipment supply and system installation that are committed to the customer and service delivery.  

“There is so much uncertainty in South Africa right now. However, Metrowatt has put a peg in the ground to deliver a service and product that can be relied on to commit and care for our customers so that they are able to navigate the choppy waters of energy supply with a degree of certainty and comfort,” Neale concludes.