There is high demand for photovoltaic projects: demand which has once more increased significantly in 2022. So shouldn’t it be quite easy to sell turnkey or operational PV systems? The answer is… yes and no. In order for potential buyers to turn into successful sales, sellers must first fulfil essential basic requirements – and of course find those prospective buyers in the first place.

Both sides can then start negotiating a fair market price. As soon as the most important key points and aspects of the transaction are agreed upon, investors interested in buying put their technical and legal due diligence into motion, something which has an impact on the final price. At the same time, sellers can already prepare a purchase contract. But there is plenty which can go right or wrong before the final negotiations and signing – and even if everything is done correctly, the entire sales process can either be handled efficiently or cost plenty of time and stress.

With Milk the Sun, we have successfully brokered over 970 PV projects since 2012 (as of 10/2022). Working with this experience, we can explain the important points of selling PV systems correctly. We can also show the conclusions that we have drawn ourselves, and demonstrate why PV projects can be sold more easily and efficiently with our help.

Readying the PV project for sale

All successful PV project sales are based on the same principles, regardless of whether you want to sell PV project rights as a project developer, turnkey PV systems as an EPC, or running PV systems as an operator. The most important fundamentals include:

• Complete documentation: A smooth and quick asset sale requires a complete compilation of the most important documents and contracts. Photos are also helpful for offering a visual first impression. For this, we have our Solarganizer: a free tool for creating a structured and secure online data space.
• Realistic price expectations: Of course, sellers want to get the best possible prices. This is very possible within a realistic price range. In order to determine a fair selling price on the market, the actual technical performance of the system and the buyer’s yield expectations must be calculated. For this, you can use our free net worth calculator.
• The entry in the land register entry of a first-ranked easement: The PV project can only be sold if first-rank usage rights for the roof or open space for the operation of a PV system have been registered in the land register, or if such registration is possible. Without this right, the sale cannot be made, or is only possible at significantly reduced prices.

We check all these basics and more before we offer a PV project on our Marketplace. An extensive description of project basics can be found on the Milk the Sun blog, in our articles on the most common mistakes made when selling PV systems and the most important documents to be aware of.

Simplifying project sales

When selling PV projects, repeat sellers and one-time sellers face different challenges:

Frequent sales: Streamlining the process

If you frequently sell project rights or turnkey PV systems, acting systematically means acting efficiently. You can systematically record project basics and work through them in logical order.

The approach to investors can also be streamlined. You can work with your own network and check individually who is seriously interested in buying. You can also reduce everything to a single step by making an offer to the entire buyer market registered at Milk the Sun, consisting of several thousand investors, and waiting to receive concrete enquiries from verified investors through us. Alternatively, you can work with estate agents. Their sales mandates promise the advantage of comfort. However, brokers like to claim exclusive selling rights for themselves, which can prevent you from accessing faster or better deals.

Through streamlined sales processes, project developers, EPCs, and portfolio managers can reduce their workloads by outsourcing some or all of their sales to Milk the Sun. This makes it easier for them to concentrate on core business and realise more PV projects with their existing personnel capacities. When selling through us, you can either use the free sales structure of the online marketplace or book specific services and let us take care of the steps for you.

Single sales: Securing the process

The sale of individual PV systems can be based on completely different objective. Perhaps you need a little short-term liquidity, taking profits or tax benefits with you, or you have too little time – or find system operation stressful. In these cases you can also simplify the sales process. With free advertising on the Milk the Sun marketplace, you save yourself the trouble of searching for buyers in your area. The systematic processes, as well as project and investor screening from our experienced account managers, ensure that the vital groundwork of the sale is completed and that you only have to deal with serious enquiries. If an online marketplace does not immediately catch your interest, you can give us a call on +49 30 46 999 0330 for advice or for any unanswered questions.

You can also read about how the sales process goes on the Milk the Sun Marketplace.