utility model for renewable energy

Sharp guys running this thing. Wonder if they have looked at this business model catching on in the US...

SunEdison Copycats Take Finance Model Beyond PV
A business model that lets customers buy solar-electric power with no upfront costs is expanding into solar-thermal, geothermal and even energy-conservation technologies.
by: Tyler Hamilton
Bullet Arrow January 08, 2008

A utility service model pioneered by SunEdison, which lets cash-strapped municipalities and building owners purchase solar power with no upfront capital, is beginning to generate more than just kilowatts.
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It's also producing copycats in energy efficiency, heating and cooling. Companies such as Mondial Energy and GeoXperts have adapted the utility approach to solar-thermal and geothermal heat-pump systems, allowing customers to dramatically offset their use of natural gas or electricity without weighing down their balance sheets.

And at least one company, H2O Applied Technologies, has even figured out a way to sell conservation as a service, by getting paid over a long-term contract out of monthly energy savings.

Some industry experts caution that the complexity of certain technologies increases the risk of such lengthy commitments, and say that becoming a utility is more than just selling energy – it's about supporting a service 24 hours a day. The concept, however, is attracting the attention of green-minded organizations that want to buy clean energy, not own the systems that produce it.

"The client really doesn't know what the cost is. They don't ask us what the cost is. They have absolutely no responsibility regarding the cost," said Al Scaramelli, president of Boston-based H2O Applied Technologies. "They can have their cake and eat it too."

The 2-year-old company goes into hospitals, colleges and universities and installs energy-efficient equipment at its own expense, in exchange for an 80-percent cut of savings, usually over a six-year contract period. After the contract expires, the customer can purchase the equipment from H2O at "fair market value" -- typically 6 to 8 cents on the dollar.

more...

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/sunedison-copycats-take-finance-model-beyond-pv-466.html