Jack Kapoor: How Aussie businesses are quietly making money while they sleep

As interest rates climb and operating costs surge, Australian businesses are facing a brutal reality: margins are being squeezed from every direction.
 

However a growing number of smart operators have found a loophole, one that doesn't involve cutting staff, raising prices or selling more product.
 

They're turning power into profit.
 

According to Jack Kapoor, clean energy expert and founder and managing director of Agile Energy, energy-as-a-service is fast becoming one of the most lucrative and over looked income streams available to Australian businesses.
 

"This is not about being green," Kapoor said.
 

"This is about businesses using energy infrastructure to generate real cash flow, automatically, around the clock, even while they're asleep."
 

From power bill to profit centre
 

For decades, electricity has been treated as a fixed and unavoidable cost. That thinking is now costing businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars.
 

Commercial sites that move to solar and battery systems can typically cut grid electricity costs by 20 to 50 per cent almost immediately, depending on usage patterns and site size.
 

For large warehouses, factories, healthcare facilities and multi-tenant buildings, that can translate to $50,000 to $300,000+ per year in direct energy savings.
 

Kapoor emphasised that savings are only the beginning.
 

"When businesses add batteries and connect to virtual power markets on Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), energy stops being a cost and starts behaving like an income-producing asset," Kapoor said.
 

How businesses make money while doing nothing
 

Under the energy-as-a-service PPA model, solar and battery systems are professionally operated using real-time market data and roof is treated like a rental property. Power is stored when electricity is cheap and automatically sold back into the grid when prices spike often during peak demand events when wholesale prices surge. In addition, roof rental is charged for placing solar panels.
 

Depending on system size, location and grid conditions, businesses can earn $10,000 to $100,000+ per year simply by allowing their stored energy to be traded without lifting a finger.
 

"This isn't theoretical," Kapoor said.
 

"We're seeing businesses generate large recurring revenue streams from energy assets they already have on their rooftops.
 

"These systems are ideal for owner occupier sites and leased sites where approval is granted for installation."
 

For larger sites or portfolios with multiple locations, the numbers can scale dramatically higher.
 

Why rising interest rates are accelerating the shift
 

With borrowing costs rising and cash flow under pressure, Kapoor said businesses are urgently looking for ways to improve profitability without taking on more debt.
 

"Energy-as-a-service removes the upfront capital barrier," he said.
 

"Businesses can access solar, batteries and advanced energy platforms without spending millions or loading their balance sheet with new liabilities."
 

Instead, energy systems are financed, built and managed externally, while businesses benefit from lower bills, new revenue and long-term protection against power price volatility.
 

"In a high-interest-rate environment, predictable energy costs and new income streams are a competitive weapon," Kapoor said.
 

Australia's buildings are becoming silent power stations
 

Through national virtual power networks, commercial buildings are now being linked into distributed energy systems that operate like a massive, decentralised power plant.
 

Warehouses, hospitals, shopping centres and office buildings are quietly selling power back to the grid during peak periods, stabilising the energy system while getting paid for it.
 

"Every building with solar and batteries is effectively a mini power station and once the system is live, it just runs in the background," he said.
 

Energy is the new asset class
 

Kapoor said the biggest mistake businesses can make right now is continuing to treat energy as an expense instead of an opportunity.
 

"Energy is now an asset class," he said.
 

"Businesses that own and optimise their energy will outperform those that don't, full stop."

As operating costs rise and margins tighten, Kapoor believes energy-as-a-service PPA will become one of the defining profit strategies of the next decade.
 

"While others are worrying about rising rates, smart businesses are letting their buildings earn money," he said.
 

"That's the future and it's already happening."
 

About Agile Energy
 

Agile Energy, funded by federal government's Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), is one of Australia's fastest-growing clean-energy companies, delivering large-scale solar, battery and electrification solutions for the commercial, industrial, healthcare and property sectors. The company designs, finances, builds and operates integrated clean-energy systems that help
businesses reduce costs, decarbonise operations and participate in virtual power networks. With deep engineering expertise, financial discipline and a long-term ownership mindset, Agile Energy is redefining how organisations generate, store and trade electricity creating measurable financial and environmental performance across Australia's transition to a smarter, more resilient energy future. Further information can be found at: agileenergy.com.au