Energy supplier Flogas has announced plans to deliver €50m worth of solar energy projects over the next five years to large Irish businesses through its new solar as a service (SaaS) offering.

Flogas states that the SaaS offering will enable Irish businesses to install rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV panels on premises without any capital investment, while using the power to reduce energy bills.

This initiative aims to install approximately 50 megawatts of solar PV capacity across roughly 100 businesses, generating an estimated 50 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy annually - enough to power around 12,000 Irish homes.

Flogas is partnering with Alternative Energy Ireland and Wewise, both sister companies within the DCC group, to deliver SaaS for the Irish market.

“Solar as a service offers numerous benefits, including zero upfront costs, significant energy savings, reduction in carbon footprints, a single monthly fee and a service level agreement for the duration of any contract,” said managing director of Alternative Energy Ireland Steven Bray.

“This model enables businesses to leverage solar energy without the financial burden of purchasing and maintaining the technology,” he added.