[Advertorial] The climate crisis has prompted countries and people around the world to take immediate action to reduce their impact on the environment. Furthermore, ever-increasing energy costs and the need for sustainability are forcing the population to find new creative ways to reduce their energy bills.

However, the resource requirements for investing in sustainable projects such as solar panels are significant. Thanks to investment companies like APW Belgium, mobile phone antenna rental companies can easily and quickly access this necessary capital. What do these seemingly independent installations have to do with each other? In summary, APW Belgium offers mobile phone antenna rental companies the opportunity to capitalize on their antenna rental. Landlords, in turn, invest a fully guaranteed, prepaid lump sum in long-term projects that are important to them. For many newer partners, this meant investing in solar energy. APW Belgium’s business model is simply described as “We buy telecommunications leases”.

Opportunity

This was the case of Gregorio Aiello, priest of the Missione Cattolica Italiana and customer of APW Belgium, who saw their proposal as a golden opportunity: “Some time ago I was contacted by the APW company. They were interested in leasing the radio tower next to the church. Together we developed a proposal in which we financed certain renovations and an investment in solar panels.” Since solar panels fall under the European target of obtaining 20% ​​of energy from renewable sources, it was a “ray of hope” moment for Gregorio Aiello, his to use telecommunications equipment for a solar panel investment that would significantly improve its financial position.

Mr. Aiello continues: “Since I started at the church in 2011, I had noticed that there was a huge open space on the roof of the church and that certainly presented an opportunity to do something with green energy. It was also then that I realized how much the church was spending on its energy bill each month. From that moment on, I always hoped that a company would be interested in installing solar panels on our roof. Ten years later, however, no one had taken that first step. In 2020, together with APW Belgium’s acquisitions manager, I took the initiative to raise capital that we could use for this investment. After we installed the solar panels our bill went from €870 to €50 per month.”

Many telecommunications rental companies are unaware of the financial opportunities that their cell tower rental agreement can provide. When asked about his impressions about investing in solar panels in the context of the current energy crisis, Gregorio Aiello added: “I would like to comment on the current situation and the prices currently in force, not only for energy, but also for gas. People are on guard. Thanks to our investment in solar panels, we can still pay the higher gas prices. We checked and if we hadn’t installed solar panels we would now have a monthly bill of about $2,500. Therefore, I can say with certainty that the decision to install solar panels on the roof was one of my most important contributions here in the Church of the Italian Community.”

Recommend

When asked whether he would recommend APW Belgium and what value their transactions can bring to existing telecom site owners, not only for solar investments but also for investments in their core businesses in general, Mr. Aiello replies: “I would definitely recommend it to other concerns This is not only for companies, but also for families who currently need relief due to high prices. For me personally, this moral decision is not only about the financial benefits that the solar panels offer, the climate benefits also played a big role.” In this context, the European Parliament Research Service assumes that Belgium is increasing its share of renewable energy in total energy consumption will increase by an average of 13.7% by 2030.

Although the country has implemented incentive programs to promote electricity from renewable energy sources, it may be difficult for certain population groups to invest in such projects. In Flanders, for example, a small 10 kWp system costs less than €25,000 and can generate more than 20,000 kWh. Given the current market situation, the investment will pay for itself in a relatively short period of time, in some cases even within five years. On the other hand, a company with a 1000 m² roof would pay around 150,000 euros for a system that can produce up to 123,000 kWh of solar energy per year, which, based on current energy figures, corresponds to a yield of around 30,000 euros per year. This investment will pay for itself within five years. For a business, investing in solar panels is not the only option. On the contrary, improved roof insulation or a more efficient heating system are common alternatives. This not only enables energy savings for the landlord, but also improves overall energy efficiency. This makes the property more valuable and interesting for investment. All of these investments can and will be made possible with APW Belgium’s capital.

Provided that there is a GSM antenna network on your property, APW Belgium can make you a tailor-made offer in return for the right to receive the current rent under the telecommunications rental agreement with the mobile operator tenant.

APW believes that if a landlord truly understands the telecommunications industry and the intricacies relevant to their specific telecommunications lease, virtually everyone will improve their situation by working with APW, regardless of how long their cell tower remains standing.

To explore the full potential of your site and have a team member take a look at your rental agreement and create a tailor-made offer for your specific case, please contact Stijn Van Calster (Director) or his APW Belgium team at https: // www.apwbelgium.be/nl/contact/, or you can call 03 547 01 15.