Lighting Archives | Smart Ease

Sunlight powers emergency light production at Clevertronics

Demanzo Team — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 11:16:25 +0000

Look around your office and it’s almost certain you’ll spot an illuminated exit sign somewhere. On an average day, no-one notices emergency lighting. But when there’s a blackout or a fire, these smart, disc-shaped light fittings recessed in ceilings and stairwells can save lives.

Clevertronics is a market leader in Australia and New Zealand for emergency lighting and is recognised as a sustainability leader in its field. The type of lights Clevertronics produces are a mandatory feature of buildings like offices and hospitals, with regular testing and reporting dictated by law.

Along with innovation, energy efficiency is hardwired into Clevertronics’ DNA. The company’s leaders walk the talk when it comes to environmental responsibility, and its products lead the market in sustainability and energy efficiency.

As part of its sustainability strategy, Clevertronics solar installation has long been on the cards, but its previous premises presented a hitch.

Project snapshot

200 kW solar array

444 x 450W panels

Surface area: 660m²

Supports: manufacturing and EV charging

Solar provides 55% of energy needs

Annual CO₂ reduction: 200 tonnes

Annual energy production: 254MWh (forecasted)

Excess energy exported ≡ 12 x homes usage

“Our previous location was fragmented with a number of small buildings on the premises − not really conducive to solar.

When we moved to our new building (as anchor tenant on a modern industrial estate) in late 2019, everything aligned. With a long-term lease, a nice big roof space with no shade, and owners who were totally happy for us to add value to their investment in the form of commercial solar array, the time was right.”

Andrew Murray, Product Support Manager, Clevertronics

The solution

Clevertronics engaged Smart Ease Channel Partner Smart Commercial Solar to install a 200kW rooftop solar array. Divided into two areas to support manufacturing and EV charging, a total of 444 x 450W panels were installed. The panels cover a surface area of 660m² – larger than your average football field.

A Smart Ease payment solution was included as part of Smart Commercial Solar’s initial proposal and Clevertronics jumped at the option. Low interest rates meant cash was “cheap” at the time, so funding their solar array via a Smart Ease Payment Plan made more sense than allocating their own funds to the project.

We have a longstanding partnership with Smart Ease, and we integrate their payment options in all our proposals using their API.

Clevertronics decided quite late in December that a finance solution was the preferred method of procurement. Any other lender would have deferred until January, but the Smart Ease team was responsive and got the documentation through before the end of year, in line with the customer’s budgetary deadlines.

Anastasi Kotoros, Head of Marketing, Smart Commercial Solar

The win

Clevertronics’ solar installation now provides 150kW of energy to power their manufacturing production area with an additional 50kW earmarked for future EV charging stations. Clevertronics has found that 150kW is the ideal amount to meet their weekday manufacturing demand – on the weekends, power is fed back into the grid. At this point, the business uses 55% solar and draws 45% of its energy from the grid to cover overnight production.

The solar array accounts for an estimated annual CO₂ reduction of 200 tonnes. With a forecasted energy production of 254MWh per year, Clevertronics’ reliance on external power has dropped by over 50% − and exports enough energy to the grid to power twelve average homes. For eight months of the year, Clevertronics generates more power than it consumes, which means it’s now classified as a power generator.

“Our solar installation has more than met our expectations, and we look forward to the next stage of installing EV charging stations,” said Andrew Murray, Clevertronics’ Product Support Manager.

Start a conversation with Smart Ease and find out how our Payment Plans can help you meet sustainability goals and save on energy costs.

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Community Art Centre installs equipment & gains a new revenue stream

Stefanie D — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 23:40:22 +0000

“Without the Payment Plan we would have had to secure a grant – or wait a number of years until the upgrade got included in Council’s CAPEX budget.

“Now the whole community benefits because the lighting is available for use – and we have a new revenue stream by hiring our lighting to commercial users.”

Raina Savage, Manager, Griffith City Council

Project snapshot

Equipment

AV System and Stage lighting

Organisation

Griffith City Council

Industry

Not for profit

Location

NSW

Find out how a Smart Ease payment solution could support your business goals

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Payment Plan helps to light up the stage at major events

Stefanie D — Tue, 03 May 2022 00:16:20 +0000

“As a business that provides lighting and large video screens for some of the biggest outdoor events, we needed superior AV systems. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the funds available that financial year. So we applied for a payment plan through Smart Ease got approved instantly (and) had our equipment within a few days.”

Owner, Creative Productions

Project snapshot

Equipment

AV System, lighting and screens

Organisation

Creative Productions

Industry

Entertainment

Location

Victoria

Find out how our payment solutions support solar projects and sustainability goals – for any business

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Time-poor business reaps the benefits of Smart Ease fast approvals

Stefanie D — Tue, 03 May 2022 00:10:10 +0000

“Smart Ease understands smart building equipment and helped us facilitate an efficient finance product. This was much harder to do with traditional finance options. Their process was efficient and professional which assisted a time-poor person such as myself.”

Owner, Creswick Group

Project snapshot

Equipment

Security equipment & lighting upgrade

Organisation

Creswick Woollen Mills

Industry

Retail & Manufacturing

Location

Victoria

Start a conversation with Smart Ease and find out how our solar commercial finance support enterprise scale solar projects and sustainability goals.

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