Go green this winter – Green Power

After a bumper summer in Ibiza, in which tourists returned to the island in pre-pandemic numbers, it’s been a record year for private villa rentals and expats seeking to relocate or invest in a second home in the sun. But with the peak season tide receding and cooler months on the horizon, now is the time to start making cost-effective changes to private homes and rental properties to maximise their potential. With the rising cost of energy set in stone for much of Europe, solar energy is an environmentally friendly and financially sound way to future-roof personal and investment homes and business premises, and in Ibiza, Green Power is leading the charge.

Harnessing the power of nature’s resources — without doing further damage to the planet in the process — has never been more important, and Green Power offers clients the opportunity to do that simply and efficiently. Solar energy has the potential to reduce or eliminate your electricity bills – something that homeowners and property professionals can’t afford to ignore. “If you rent villas then you know better than anyone that holidaymakers tend to be less conservative with energy usage,” senior partner Jordan Assassa explains. “They leave lights on all the time; the air conditioning is on 24/7 — it’s just not something people think about when they’re on holiday.” Especially when they’ve pre-paid their rental fee and won’t be hit with an extortionate electricity bill after they’ve arrived home.

That means that this coming winter is the ideal time to get ahead by implementing a system that will minimise next year’s inevitable sky-high costs. Working on a client-to-client basis, Green Power design solar energy systems that meets each person or business’ requirements. “We don’t come with a ready-made package,” engineer Adam Chappell explains. “It’s entirely down to the client and how much they want to save on their energy bills. We work together to find the right balance of being self-sufficient while remaining inside their budget. It’s not one size fits all.”

Using a industry leading software, the Green Power team pinpoint a precise simulation for each client’s renewable energy setup. “I create a 3D model of the property and calculate how many panels the building or ground space can accommodate,” Adam says. “Whether it’s 10 or 70 panels, or if they would like battery storage, we’re able to get the perfect fit for every client’s needs. It takes into account the exact location and how much of the solar energy can be generated throughout the whole year, the client’s actual consumption and price they are paying currently, and also things like shading caused by nearby trees or surrounding objects. It even tells you how long it will take for the installation to pay for itself and how much the total savings each year could be.”

In the majority of cases, the return-on-investment averages around three to four years, a figure amplified by Green Power’s own brand of solar panels, Carbon Free™. “Normally other installations use 450w panels,” Jordan says. “But we use our own 600w panels. They take up the same amount of space, but you get 25% more power.” There are other bonuses with their inverter of choice, Fronius. It’s a common misconception that having solar energy means you’re protected from grid outages but that’s generally not the case. Because solar energy also sends surplus energy into the grid, it’s always connected, and EU law requires inverters to shut down the whole system when power is down to avoid injuring anyone working on the lines. Fronius is different, Jordan explains: “Fronius inverters are user-friendly, and in the event of a grid failure they have a full backup function when paired with batteries, it stops sending any power into the grid and switches to backup power so you can continue using your own energy.”

The inverters also work with an online system that allows clients to log in from any device, any time, and see how much power they’re generating, using or feeding back into the grid. Over time, it also tells them how much money they’re making from that surplus energy. Furthermore, the Green Power team uses BYD batteries to complement their Fronius systems. “The inverter allows you to schedule battery storage,” Adam explains. “If it’s a very cloudy day, you can set the inverter to prioritise battery storage over direct usage and use your stored solar energy during peak-time evening hours when grid energy is most expensive. The great thing is that the user interface is super easy to understand so measures like this are uncomplicated and take no time at all.”

It might sound complicated to the uninitiated but in action, it’s simple to get your head round, as a recent Green Power project demonstrates. A family with a six-bedroom house and an annual consumption of 35,000kWh had a no-obligation consultation and subsequently decided to proceed with the installation of 30 600w modules, a Fronius inverter and BYD batteries. The system will cover 82.2% of the client’s energy needs; saving them 5,970€ in electricity costs in the first year alone (based on current electricity prices) and incredibly, it will avoid more than 18.6 tons of annual Co2 emissions.

“Most people decide to switch to solar power because it makes sense financially,” Jordan says. “But increasingly, people are happy there’s a positive environmental impact as well. Everyone wants to do their part.” To further support that drive, Green Power has partnered with Forest Nation, and pledges to plant 30 trees for every solar panel installed in a location in Tanzania. “It’s fruit trees that are being planted,” Adam says. “This means that the local community benefits as much as the planet.” It’s a measure that also plays the important role of raising awareness about the potential to live in a cleaner, greener world — a measure we should all be moving towards.

The financial incentives continue to stack up with Green Power. There are a wide range of subsidies available whether you are a private homeowner or a commercial building owner. “The EU offers generous subsidies for renewable energy and battery storage,” Adam explains. “And through our partner, clients can benefit from up to 50% of the project cost, which they will receive in six months.”

Whether it’s rising energy bills, the increase in cost of living or simply concern about the rapidly increasing speed of the climate crisis, there’s never been a more pertinent time to take positive steps towards countering those issues. With Green Power, you get the benefit of an experienced, friendly team who are always on hand – not to mention on-island – to help with queries, a targeted plan that’s designed to maximise results for every home or business, and the possibility of 100% financing. “It’s a large investment but it’s a worthy investment,” Adam concludes. “The time to act is now.”