SIPENERGY is a renewable energy company specialising in commercial solar and battery storage solutions across Australia. Founded 8 years ago by Nicholas Sipple, SIPENERGY was established with a clear mission: to give customers what they deserve through superior service and technical expertise.

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With a focus on the C&I sector, SIPENERGY offers a full turnkey solution for commercial clients, positioning themselves as a boutique alternative to large energy conglomerates.

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In the last 12 months, they’ve installed approximately 1.5MW of commercial solar, with a major uptick in new projects confirmed since adopting Orkestra for their C&I solar and battery feasibility analysis in 2024.

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Before adopting Orkestra, SIPENERGY faced several critical challenges that limited their ability to compete effectively in the commercial solar market:

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Technical Limitations with Previous Software Pylon

• Basic modelling capabilities that weren't extremely accurate
• Over-estimated production figures, conflicting with their "under-promise, over-deliver" philosophy
• Inability to provide accurate financial analysis of Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) benefits
• No battery storage modeling capabilities

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As Jessica, SIPENERGY's sales specialist, explains: "We were competing against the likes of Origin and AGL, even though we're a small business - so we needed something that would put us on an even playing field."

The company needed to run their own feasibility studies rather than outsourcing, but lacked the sophisticated tools required for comprehensive commercial solar and battery analysis.

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Enter Orkestra. 

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After losing some contract prospects to a competitor in 2024, SIPENERGY realised they needed to fundamentally upgrade their technical presentation capabilities. 

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They required a platform that could match the sophisticated modelling and professional presentation quality of major energy retailers, while enabling their small business to deliver comprehensive feasibility studies efficiently.

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The key features that attracted SIPENERGY to Orkestra included:

• Comprehensive PPA modelling and financial analysis
• Before and after bill comparisons with detailed tariff analysis
• Interactive shareable reports that impressed clients
• Solar and battery storage optimisation capabilities
• Professional presentation quality that matched industry leaders

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"A major pain point was accurate financial analysis of PPA benefits," Jessica notes. "Orkestra solved that completely, plus gave us the professional presentation we needed to compete."

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In addition, Orkestra enabled SIPENERGY to improve their business processes across:

• Faster project delivery: Significant time savings compared to previous processes

• Single-person operation: One team member can manage the entire complex commercial modelling process
• Professional presentation: Matching quality standards of major energy companies to deliver real value customers can understand

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“Orkestra makes things clear and easy to comprehend, our customers love that it includes all financials and environmental benefits"

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Client feedback consistently highlights the professional quality of Orkestra’s outputs, with one customer saying "This is by far the best proposal we've ever seen"

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The shareable links have also become a particular competitive advantage. As Jessica explains: "Orkestra enables us to have a much faster turnaround in presenting the  proposals.”

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Enhancing Technical Capabilities and Confidence

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Orkestra has significantly elevated SIPENERGY's professional judgment, transforming them from a company that leaned into experience-based estimates, to one that delivers data-driven, comprehensive feasibility analyses. 

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The platform has enabled their team to move beyond basic system sizing based on power bills to sophisticated modelling that considers multiple variables, including tariff structures, load profiles, and battery optimisation scenarios.

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Nicholas adds context about their validation process: "It was nice to have the technical side validate our professional judgment - now we can back ourselves with the tool."

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Beyond validation, Orkestra actively enhances their solution development capabilities. The platform frequently identifies optimal solutions that exceed initial expectations. 

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"Orkestra often finds different and better solutions, and sometimes larger than what was originally expected. Sometimes battery optimisation will pop up with a really good net present value and rate of return."

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This technical advancement has practical implications for their sales process. Jessica can now confidently size systems during initial conversations, picking the right size systems not just from their power bills but also through Orkestra’s feasibility analysis. 

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Operational Efficiency Despite Resource Constraints

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Orkestra's intuitive design and rapid analysis capabilities have transformed SIPENERGYs project delivery timeline. The platform's streamlined workflow allows their small team to produce comprehensive feasibility studies in a fraction of the time.

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 "It's definitely quicker than previous processes" Jessica notes, emphasising how the speed improvements have enhanced their competitive responsiveness.

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The platform's user-friendly interface means complex commercial solar and battery modelling doesn't require extensive technical training or specialised expertise. This accessibility has enabled SIPENERGY to maintain their project momentum even during staffing transitions. As Jessica says, “The fact that I've been able to model a few projects while on maternity leave is incredible." 

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When a new parent can successfully navigate complex commercial solar and battery feasibility modelling between feedings and nap schedules, you know you've built something truly intuitive!

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Dramatic Sales Success

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The results speak for themselves. In the six months since implementing Orkestra, SIPENERGY has achieved remarkable sales success:

• Nearly 100% close rate: "We've closed almost every single job that we've put on Orkestra"
• Multiple major contract wins including Cronulla Sharks and Stewart Toyota‍
• Increased system sizes: Projects initially scoped at 99kW expanded to 120kW systems with battery storage options

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"People want to see the real numbers, not just a proposal," Jessica observes. "Orkestra delivers exactly that."

SIPENERGY now offers complex modelling and feasibility analysis, as well as exceptional customer service to create lasting relationships with their customers. Using Orkestra to enhance their service offering, they’ve created a unique value proposition that combines boutique service with enterprise-grade technical capabilities.

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SIPENERGY also has plans to leverage Orkestra's post-installation monitoring capabilities through Operate to offer performance guarantees, further differentiating their services.

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"We  pride ourselves on upfront honesty and after-sales care and performance," Jessica emphasises.

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Nicholas reveals an additional motivation behind the boutique company:

"I'm trying to leave something real behind. Everything I'm installing now will have a major impact for years to come.”

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The company's commitment to under-promising and over-delivering aligns perfectly with Orkestra's conservative, accurate modeling approach, enabling them to build long-term client relationships based on trust and demonstrated performance.

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