Clean technology saves companies millions, one LED lamp at a time

They’re not big or particularly sexy, but LED lamps are on the front line of clean technology. But they come with a significant price tag. Thanks to a unique partnership between DLL and Rexel, financing clean technology solutions is easier than ever.

According to Rexel, a global clean technology leader, the LED lighting market has matured, and the return on investment can be more or less instantaneous. “Companies have always desired to save energy, and with the advancement in technology these improvements make even greater business sense than before. Having a financing solution makes it a no-brainer,” says Yan Baratte, Global Program Manager at Rexel.

The missing piece – financing solutions

Rexel offers innovative and energy-efficient electrical solutions to the world’s largest companies, right down to residential homes. But convincing companies to adopt the cost-efficiencies of clean technology is one thing, helping them finance the investment is something else. That’s where DLL comes in to play.

Holistic approach to finance products

“Selling clean technology solutions and financing along with them offers companies a truly holistic approach,” says Kristian Kubasch, New Business Development at DLL. “We look for ways to finance projects so that the customer’s energy savings are more than their monthly payments. This way there is no negative impact to their cash flow. In fact, customers will be saving money from day one.”

The payback promise

For the past two years, DLL has been working with Rexel to finance their customers’ clean technology ambitions. In many cases, this includes LED lighting, which has now reached such a high level of maturity in efficiency and cost-effectiveness that it is often the simplest solution to implement. And because lighting is one of the highest energy costs for most companies, LED can offer significant savings quickly.

Substantial rewards

Clean technology can be perceived as more expensive than the technology it is replacing, so Rexel spends a lot of time convincing potential customers to make the up-front investment. Baratte says, “Financing accelerates the sales process and is now part of our offering.”

“The rewards can be so substantial that most clients actually save enough money to invest in other clean technology solutions, which enables them to save even more money over the long run,” adds Kubasch.

Serious growth potential

To date, DLL has financed over 20 projects across Europe. There are currently more than 150 new projects in the pipeline and cooperation is starting to develop in the US, China and New Zealand. This expansion attests to clean technology’s serious growth potential. “Clean technology may still be associated with something radical,” adds Kubasch, “but in reality it is sometimes as simple as changing a light bulb.”