FAQ: Roof Rental, PPAs & Property Energy | Lightpath

Question 1

Do I need to pay anything upfront for a commercial solar installation?

Accepted Answer

No. Under an approved commercial structure, Lightpath can fund the full capital cost of the energy infrastructure — solar panels, inverters, battery storage, metering and the associated civil and electrical works. The property owner pays nothing upfront. Instead of a capital outlay, the structure defines how value flows through the property: rental income to the landlord in a rooftop-rental model, or agreed energy and service terms under other structures.

Question 2

What is a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is a long-term contract under which the energy system is installed, owned and operated by a provider, and the buyer pays for electricity generated over the term — often 10–20 years. A PPA can be appropriate when generation matches useful on-site load and the payment terms allocate risk fairly. Lightpath treats it as one option among several and tests whether the retained benefit actually reaches the landlord. See our PPA Reality Check page for the questions we ask first.

Question 3

What commercial models does Lightpath offer?

Accepted Answer

Lightpath compares four commercial structures on the landlord's retained net benefit: Funded Roof Rental, where qualifying roof space earns contractual rental income; Managed Utility Services, which improves utility data, recoveries and operating control; Solar, Storage and Demand solutions sized to the property's load; and Resilience and Intelligence, combining storage, backup oversight and software. Hybrid structures combine these to suit the property. See the Solutions page for detail.

Question 4

Who owns the solar panels and energy equipment?

Accepted Answer

Under a funded structure, Lightpath typically owns and operates the energy infrastructure through the contract term, carrying the capital risk, performance risk and maintenance responsibility. Infrastructure ownership, operations, insurance, maintenance and reinstatement responsibilities are allocated explicitly in the contract. End-of-term arrangements, including any transfer of ownership, are agreed in the commercial terms.

Question 5

What size commercial solar PV systems does Lightpath install?

Accepted Answer

Systems are engineered to the property rather than sold from a price list. Rooftop solar PV is sized against measured consumption, roof capacity, structural constraints and tenant demand — from tens of kilowatts to megawatt scale across office parks, warehouses, retail centres, industrial facilities and multi-tenanted commercial buildings. Where it improves the property outcome, battery storage and demand management are added to the design.

Question 6

What is battery energy storage (BESS) and why does a commercial property need it?

Accepted Answer

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) store surplus solar energy or cheaper off-peak grid electricity for use when it has greater value — peak tariff periods, evening trading hours or outages. For a commercial property, BESS can reduce maximum-demand charges, support business continuity and raise the share of solar generation the site can actually use. Whether storage earns its place is assessed against the property's load profile and tariffs, not assumed.

Question 7

How does energy intelligence software reduce operating costs?

Accepted Answer

Lightpath's software and energy intelligence layer brings consumption data, solar production, battery state of charge, tariffs and building controls into managed workflows: tenant recovery reconciliation, demand and power-quality monitoring, optimisation of when to generate, store, buy or consume energy, and portfolio-level reporting. The aim is clearer utility data, better control and defensible recoveries — not another dashboard.

Question 8

What is smart metering and how does it help multi-tenanted properties?

Accepted Answer

Smart sub-metering measures individual tenant and common-area consumption in real time. For multi-tenanted commercial properties this supports accurate, lawful cost recovery, flags missing readings and anomalies before the monthly reconciliation, and gives management an auditable trail. Lightpath installs and manages the metering infrastructure as part of its managed services offering.

Question 9

What types of commercial properties are eligible for Lightpath's energy solutions?

Accepted Answer

Lightpath works with office parks, warehouses, logistics and distribution centres, retail centres, hospitals, industrial facilities, mixed-use developments and commercial portfolios. The starting point is the property itself: suitable roof or site area, meaningful utility spend, tenant and recovery structures, and an owner or asset manager willing to assess the economics properly.

Question 10

What is the process from initial enquiry to installation?

Accepted Answer

The process is property-led: Assess (we review utility bills, interval data, tariffs, recovery clauses and roof/site information); Design (we compare structures on the landlord's retained net cash flow); Contract and Fund (responsibilities, service levels and capital are agreed — eligible infrastructure may be fully funded); Deliver (competent specialists execute the works); and Operate, Optimise and Report (we monitor, reconcile and report outcomes relevant to the property). See the How We Work page for the full model.

Question 11

Will a solar and battery system protect my property from load-shedding?

Accepted Answer

A correctly engineered solar PV and battery combination can support critical loads during outages and keep a property trading. Lightpath coordinates backup generation, storage and critical loads where the electrical design permits, sets thresholds and event notifications, and reviews availability and event histories as part of resilience control. Every property is assessed for what continuity actually requires before equipment is proposed.

Question 12

Is Lightpath a B-BBEE contributor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Lightpath Property Solutions is a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor — the highest B-BBEE recognition level. Procurement from Lightpath contributes 135% towards a client's B-BBEE procurement scorecard, and our B-BBEE certificate is available on request.

Question 13

How does rooftop rental differ from a PPA for a landlord?

Accepted Answer

Rooftop rental pays the landlord contractual income for the use of qualifying roof space, creating an additional income line and potential capitalised property value. A PPA buys discounted electricity. The distinction that matters is who captures the benefit: rental flows to the property as income, while energy savings only help the landlord insofar as recoveries, tariffs and lease structures allow. The Property Economics page sets out how we compare them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Funding & Commercial Models

Energy Solutions

Process & Eligibility

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