Independent power producer Rame Energy is targeting the potentially lucrative UK rooftop solar market with its new UK-facing subsidiary Rame Solar.
Rame Solar will initially own and operate up to four commercial rooftop projects with a total generation capacity of 120kW, the first two of which will provider power under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to a dairy farm and an indoor motocross arena.
Construction of the first project has already started and the first three rooftop systems are expected to be operational by October this year. Construction of all four projects will cost a total of £180,000.
Rame is to use its own PV installation firm Beco for each project it pursues, which it said would “retain the traditional solar installer’s margin within the group” and reduce capital expenditure as a result.
Tim Adams, chief executive at Rame, said that the firm had been seeing “increasing numbers of opportunities” within the rooftop solar market and that such projects were “both less time and capital intensive” than the firm’s existing projects in Chile.
“Our in house installation capabilities allow us to control the project development from concept through to power generation whilst retaining the construction margin. Our planned project portfolio complements Beco's core installation business and allows us to extend a PPA solution to our UK customers.
“Whilst we are launching with four initial projects, we believe there is scope to greatly add to this UK PV portfolio. We have consciously put in place a corporate structure which will allow Rame to efficiently manage these and future assets from both a financial and operational perspective,” Adams said.