Democratize solar energy with green bond

Younergy Solar AG's model is based on the principle of energy as a service: the company invests in the installation of solar systems to provide locally generated renewable energy. Younergy erects photovoltaic systems on the roofs of its customers and assumes the entire cost of installation, maintenance and monitoring. As a result, customers - from single-family homes to large corporations - produce their own electricity without any upfront investment and instead pay only for the energy they produce. Once the payback period has expired, the plant becomes the property of the customer. Younergy thus makes it possible for anyone, regardless of personal budget, to generate and use solar power, whether in their own home or together with other tenants. "Throughout Switzerland, we are the only ones to cover single-family homes as well as buildings with larger roofs. This has been key to our rapid growth," explains Pedro Miranda, CEO and co-founder of Younergy.

The goal of the green bond

Younergy is the largest photovoltaic plant owner in Switzerland by number of production sites - more than 480 solar plants nationwide. The company was founded in 2015 by a group of solar energy experts at EPFL. The goal of this ever-growing company is to give all residents access to clean, affordable energy by investing in decentralized photovoltaic projects. According to Younergie, demand is steadily increasing. To finance new photovoltaic projects, the Lausanne-based company is currently issuing a CHF 5 million direct-distribution bond with an interest rate of 3.0 % and a maturity of five years from August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2027. The subscription period ends on July 25, 2022. With an investment of CHF 10,000, Younergy can install 20 solar modules that will locally generate 10 MWh of solar power per year. This allows the saving of 4 t CO2 / year.

Local solution and international development

With this source of financing, Younergy aims primarily to develop new projects to meet the growing demand not only in Switzerland, but in several European countries. Rainer Isenrich, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Younergy, is optimistic about the future of the company: "We want to make solar energy accessible, easy to implement and affordable so that these solutions spread beyond the Swiss borders. After the Portuguese and Spanish markets, Younergy has also expanded to Germany in 2022." In other words, the company wants to democratize solar energy. "The energy transition is mainly happening at the local level. That's why we want to expand this solution," Pedro Miranda highlights. The sharp increase in energy prices and the uncertain energy supply related to the geopolitical situation require local supply. Electricity prices are expected to increase by more than 20 % in Switzerland in 2023. Younergy's solution, on the other hand, will enable significantly lower prices for individuals and businesses, according to the report.

Younergy's vision is that the future energy landscape in Switzerland will be characterized by strong decentralization. Younergy assumes that every roof with at least twelve solar panels would have to contribute to this. The company is receiving funding from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), among others, to accelerate the development of cloud services for decentralized energy systems.

More information: Younergy Solar AG