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DRE Basics

Decentralised renewable energy means generating and using energy close to where the work happens — on your roof, at your farm gate, inside your workshop.

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What is decentralised renewable energy?

Energy produced and consumed near the point of use, instead of travelling long distances.

What is it?

A small generation or energy-using asset — a rooftop solar array, a solar dryer, a cold room, an electric cart — installed at or near the business that uses it.

Why businesses look at it

Most enterprises arrive with a business problem: a high electricity bill, production stopping during outages, produce spoiling, or a diesel cost that keeps climbing. DRE is one way of answering those problems.

What to work out first

How much energy you use and when, what stops when power fails, how much space you have, and whether you own or rent the premises.

Grid-tied vs Solar + Battery

The most common decision a business faces, and how to think about it.

Grid-tied

Lower upfront cost, no battery to maintain or replace, suits stable daytime operations — but it stops working during an outage.

Solar + Battery

Higher upfront cost and a battery to replace eventually, but chosen loads keep running when the grid fails.

How to decide

Put a number on what an outage costs you per hour. If that number is small, grid-tied is usually enough. If production, cold chain or customers are lost, storage starts to pay for itself.

Ten questions to ask before you sign anything

A checklist for conversations with any DRE provider.

On the system

What load is it sized for? What happens on a cloudy day? What is not covered during an outage? What is the expected life of each component?

On the commercials

What is included in the quoted price? What is excluded — civil work, wiring, approvals? What are the payment stages?

On service

Who services it, how quickly, and for how long? What does the warranty actually cover? Can you speak to two customers running a similar system?