Sourcing green, renewable and efficient energy is the great political and environmental challenge of the 21st century and over the past four months Torcana have been working hard to source and promote investments in this arena. We have built relationships with a number of key German & Irish partners and we are delighted to announce an incredible solar energy opportunity open to both companies and private individuals to invest in a secure, long term, stable investment within the renewable energy sector.

You will find further information below and by clicking on the orange tabs above. If you would like to receive a full information pack, please complete the short enquiry form below.

Guaranteed Income: Twenty year guaranteed income backed by the German government legislation.
 
High Net Yield: Average net yield in years 1-20 is 13-15%. This is after all finance and running costs.

Financing: Limited-recourse financing of up to 90% is available over 18 years at low interest rates (circa 4%).
 
Bank Reports: An independent viability report of every project is carried out by a bank appointed assessor.
 
Pension Compliant: This is pension compliant through Small Self Administered Pension plans (SSAP) and Approved Retirement Funds (ARF’S).
 
Long term investment: Solar panels have a 35+ year life span.
 
Choice: Investors can choose to invest in roof based or land based solar products.
 
Service: A full turnkey service is provided to all clients.

(click on the orange tabs at the top of this page for further details or simply complete the enquiry form below if you´d like to receive a full information pack)

Solar power can be used in two different ways; as a heat source, and as an energy source. People have used the sun as a heat source for thousands of years. More recently, we have been using solar power to make electricity by utilising solar panels that can convert sunlight into electricity. This process is called Photovoltaic (PV).

The effect of sunlight (solar radiation) on the Earth has been studied and quantified for over a century and exact data on solar energy per square metre exists for the entire European Union. By using data collected over a long period of time, we can accurately measure how much sunlight any particular area will receive, and therefore how much solar electricity it can produce.

The manufacture of solar panels has been expanding dramatically in Germany. Photovoltaic production has been doubling every two years, increasing by an average of 48% each year since 2002, making it the country’s fastest-growing energy technology with ever increasing efficiency levels.

Solar lands offer a completely green form of renewable energy that has a positive impact on the environment from the moment they go into production. A typical solar land of 1.5 MW will avoid the emission of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide equalling the photosynthesising effect of over 150,000 trees!

These technology improvements plus government led incentives has made solar energy a very commercially viable and environmentally friendly investment.

(click on the orange tabs at the top of this page for further details or simply complete the enquiry form below if you´d like to receive a full information pack)

Step 1 Deposit to Escrow Account
Pay 10% of your proposed equity stake into an escrow account. This can be used both as a proof of funds to the person selling the solar project and to meet the setup costs below. This money is under your complete control and can be withdrawn at any time.

Step 2 Administration & Company Setup (€1,000)
Once you decide that you would like to proceed with a solar energy investment, a German corporation (GmbH) and bank account needs to be setup in order to apply for and obtain financing for a particular project. The investor will own 100% of the shares within this company and it is a very tax efficient method of managing a solar investment. The fee for doing this is €1,000 which covers the costs of setting up a German company and the related expenses.

Step 3 Project Analysis (approx €2,000)
Once the investor’s budget has been established, a suitable project will be identified and we will supply estimates of the likely cost and revenue. If you are satisfied with the anticipated return on investment and ask us to proceed to the next step, the bank approved solar panel installation company will carry out a site visit and inspection of the roof / field.

A report will be compiled detailing the optimal layout and final price of the project. If there is a variance of more than 5% between the estimates in the pre and post report estimates, you can either choose to review an alternative project or receive a refund of the €2,000.

Step 4 Bank Due Diligence
The bank will request verification documents for the project (lease & maintenance contract, electricity production calculations) and the investor (copy of passport – no tax or income statements necessary). They will then appoint an independent assessor to visit the site and complete a viability study.

Step 5 Finance Approval
When the bank is satisfied with their independent report, they will indicate their willingness to provide finance at a stated level of the project price - this is normally 90%. The bank will issue finance approval when the balance of equity required is deposited into the investors own German company bank account.

(click on the orange tabs at the top of this page for further details or simply complete the enquiry form below if you´d like to receive a full information pack)

 Below you will find a small selection of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). A larger selection is available in the main investment brochure, which is available on request (simply complete enquiry form below)

What are the minimum and maximum investment amounts?
The minimum equity investment is €50,000. This can be used to borrow up to €450,000 and purchase a €500,000 product, which may generate approx €57,000 per year in gross income.

There is no maximum investment. We have access to projects necessitating equity stakes of up to €50 million. An investor can also spread an equity stake across a range of projects and locations.

How can you predict such high yields?
Very accurate estimates of the energy capacity of any roof or land project in Germany are calculated by independent experts and the rates paid by the utility companies for the solar energy produced are fixed for 20 years.

Putting it in a property perspective, your tenant is a large utility company who signs a rental contract obliging it to pay a fixed rent for 20 years. The maintenance costs are also fixed no matter what happens to the equipment.

Because of these two factors, we can state that this is a genuinely unique investment that can offer double digit returns with minimal risk. Also, a German bank would certainly not be providing limited recourse gearing of up to 90% if they weren´t very confident about the product.

What does limited-recourse financing mean?
This is a term describing a loan where the lender has no claim against the shareholders of the company or investor if a debt is not repaid. In the case of solar investments, the lenders only recourse to recover the debts is from the profits earned and held in the trading company account from the investment itself and from the shares and assets of the company but never the shareholders. It is advisable to repatriate all income not retained as reserve to an account outside the banks remit.

Who are the utility companies that will be purchasing electricity produced by my project?
The main companies include Bewag, E.ON, HEW and RWE. They are all obliged to buy and distribute to the market all electricity produced by solar lands at a rate fixed by the German government. A copy of the EEG law is freely available on the internet and can be emailed on request.

Who will manage the German company that owns the solar project?
You will own 100% of the shares and will have complete control of the company. However, we have a professional accountant available who can file returns and process the accounts for your incomings (payments for electricity produced) and outgoings (management fees, accounting, roof lease, insurance, etc.). Every investor is free to choose his/her own accountant, although it can be difficult to source a German based expert at managing solar based GmbH projects on behalf of non nationals.

(click on the orange tabs at the top of this page for further details or simply complete the enquiry form below if you´d like to receive a full information pack)

If you would like to receive a full information pack* on this terrific investment product and the German Solar Industry, please complete the short enquiry form below.

* includes investment samples, financing options, Torcana client services, exit strategy, technical glossary and much more.