Tonye Irims, CEO, WiSolar.

WiSolar, an on-demand prepaid solar service provider, is piloting its solar-as-a-service directly to homeowners in South Africa’s Gauteng province, it has said.

The pan-African energy company focuses primarily on a power purchase agreement (PPA) business model, whereby it installs and maintains a solar system on a customer’s home, then sells power to the customer as required per kWh for a 10 to 15-year term.

The company says this business model allows property owners to install solar with no upfront costs.

According to the company, the on-demand prepaid solar utility had previously confined its service to residential properties in gated communities

In a statement, the company said: “The prepaid solar utility aims to remove high cost, inconvenience, friction, and fragmentation associated with residential solar installs for homeowners.”

The dual energy system combines traditional grid electricity with solar power.

WiSolar says it is embracing decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitisation to do something new that brings value to customers.

Tonye Irims, CEO, WiSolar, says: “The use of smart technologies on both the generation and consumption side permits a wider, and greener range of energy sources into the mix. And the latest Internet of Things technologies permit a level of transparency and data-driven understanding of use that improves energy management for suppliers and customers alike.”

Homeowners or renters can request homeowner to join waitlist on the WiSolar website.