Many businesses investing in solar energy assume that once their system is installed, savings and efficiency will follow automatically. But what happens when your solar installation isn't performing as expected?

Underperformance is a serious risk that can quietly drain profitability, increase operational costs, and even disrupt business continuity. If your solar system isn’t generating the power you planned for, you could be paying more for electricity than anticipated, failing to meet sustainability targets, or even breaching financial agreements linked to energy savings.

The reality is that many businesses experience a shortfall in solar performance due to poor installation, inadequate maintenance, and a lack of proper monitoring. Without a clear strategy to manage these risks, your solar investment may not deliver the returns you expected.

What Causes Solar Underperformance? 

"Solar system performance can be affected by various factors, notably poor installation, inadequate system maintenance, a lack of quality data, and inadequate health and safety infrastructure," explains Richard Flamand, Country Lead of Candi Solar South Africa, a company specialising in end-to-end solar solutions for businesses. 

For example, solar panels installed without the correct orientation and tilt; as well as improper panel sizing; or the use of lower efficiency panels, will result in sub-par performance. Dirty or damaged solar panels as well as component failures like inefficient inverters, wiring issues or defective panels, will also reduce efficiency and decrease energy output.  

A lack of proper maintenance and expertise can result in declining performance over time, while inaccurate data analytics make it difficult to identify issues before they escalate, and could even lead to non-compliance with industry regulations, legal penalties or shut-downs.  

"What we're seeing is that businesses often don't have a clear strategy for managing these challenges, which directly impacts the bottom line," notes Flamand. “Most businesses don't account for performance issues in their initial financial planning, creating unexpected gaps in projected savings. Even when performance issues are identified, many organisations lack the expertise to address them effectively.”

How Businesses Can Safeguard Their Solar Investments

Fortunately, businesses now have a way to take control and safeguard their solar investments. 

In response to industry-wide challenges, Candi Solar has introduced an industry-first solution - Solar ProtectPlus - to protect solar investments. It combines performance insurance with expert asset management, ensuring solar systems deliver the savings and efficiency they were designed for. With this hassle-free approach, companies can protect their investment, avoid unexpected costs, and maximise their solar returns - without the burden of managing it themselves.

This is a result of three key features.

1. Guaranteed financial compensation is provided for any underperformance and every lost kilowatt-hour, ensuring businesses achieve their projected savings, while avoiding additional costs.   

2. Based on a simple annual fixed-cost model like the traditional O&M fee, but backed by IoT technology, AI and Swiss engineering expertise, this innovative solution takes care of all aspects of solar system maintenance and optimisation: repairs, preventative and corrective maintenance, warranty management and performance. 

3. Candi Solar’s performance-based revenue model ensures complete alignment with each client’s best interests. The client pays a fixed rate per kWh, directly linked to the energy their solar system generates. When the system outperforms expectations, both Candi Solar and the client benefit, turning performance into shared success. 

A New Standard in Solar Performance Protection

This innovative solution is set to reshape how businesses manage and protect their solar investments. 

"Solar ProtectPlus transforms the energy landscape by providing complete protection against underperformance while ensuring optimal system efficiency. We are effectively removing all the uncertainty, complexity and risk from solar asset management. This means businesses can focus on their core operations while we ensure their solar investments deliver maximum value," concludes Flamand.  

“We invite all solar asset owners who are not achieving the returns they expected from their solar investments or have experienced a noticeable drop in electricity production or a spike in electricity bills to contact us for a complimentary technical check-up.”

Get a Complimentary Solar Performance Assessment

Businesses with solar assets of 200kWp or more are encouraged to assess their current systems with a complimentary technical check-up with a five-day turnaround time. This initial assessment will help you understand the solar system's true potential, its actual performance and the opportunities for optimisation.