Retail solar businesses across Australia are apparently set to benefit from the strategic partnership recently announced between Urban Group Energy (UGE) and Solar Juice.

The venture involves the integration of UGE’s SolarFund wholesale solar division with Solar Juice’s national wholesale operation, while UGE will facilitate all future STC trading on behalf of Solar Juice and its customers.

The move allows each company to focus on individual strengths and consolidate their core businesses for the benefit of the retail solar industry, by offering access to an expanded range, improved supply chain and competitive pricing for wholesale products, coupled with an expanded, more flexible range of STC trading services and options.

The move also recognises the challenges faced by the retail solar industry as it evolves to develop a more sustainable business model in the post feed-in tariff environment.

Adam Pearse, CEO Urban Group Energy, explains ‘moving forward with this strategic alliance, both companies can unify and present their strengths to the industry and their customers significantly; together we can offer market-leading STC trading and the widest variety of wholesale solar products with fast turnaround and competitive pricing’.

The new arrangement will see customers of both Solar Juice and SolarFund enjoying a greater solar product range with unbeatable service, as well as leading STC trading facilities to ensure the smoothest and most beneficial transactions for their day to day business operations.

John Walters, National Sales Manager for Urban Group Energy, will join the team at Solar Juice to facilitate the change and ensure SolarFund customers experience a seamless transition and ongoing support.

Likewise, Solar Juice STC trading customers will continue to experience all the benefits of their current relationship, with the added advantage and security of the backing of Australia’s largest environmental traders.

Andrew Burgess, Sales Director at Solar Juice commented “the agreement reached with UGE has enormous benefits for our network which will see the introduction of additional products and services. We also see a great opportunity to be able to offer a vastly expanded product range to the SolarTrade and CO2markets network that was not available previously”.