Chengdu LED street lamp does not cost a penny

In the next three years, Chengdu City's 645 million yuan in energy-saving LED lighting, may be used in Europe and the United States has been the prevailing contract energy management model

One investment involving 645 million yuan is being quietly carried out throughout the lighting project in Chengdu. A more energy-saving and environmentally friendly LED street light will gradually replace the existing traditional street light within three years. The price of LED street lamps is 3-6 times that of traditional street lamps. It is a good thing to save energy and reduce emissions. However, in the market economy, how do you change your business?

The author's in-depth investigation found that there is a brand new business model hidden behind it. The secret lies in transferring the money saved in the future to use today. Not only does the buyer not spend a penny at the beginning, but he can also enjoy it in the days that follow. The pen is not a small energy-saving share.

This business model, which is like "the pie in the sky," is called contract energy management. It has already become popular in Europe and the United States and is now starting to find its way into Sichuan. At present, there are more than 20 energy-saving service companies in Chengdu operating contract energy management. They have promoted one by one huge energy-saving transformation. How do they benefit from it? This year's West China Financial Investigation Bureau will take you away from the mystery.

A energy-saving renovation

More than 600 million investment in three-year LED lighting replacement

The streetlights in Chengdu are quietly changing from yellow to white. In October last year, Huaxi Dushibao published a report on “Little girl dancing under the lamp”. In the photo that touched the people of the country, the streetlight in Chengdu exudes a light yellow light. If this picture was taken today, we may see a white light.

“In the past, Chengdu street lamps used high-pressure sodium lamps, so they were pale yellow. Now that the government has promoted LED street lamps, it is a bright white light.” Cao Yongjian, vice president of Xinli Light Source, told the author. Xinli Light Source undertakes most of the transformation of LED street lamps in Chengdu.

According to "City LED Lighting Product Application Plan (2010-2012)", within three years, Chengdu will promote the installation of more than 15,000 LED street lamps, promote the use of 400,000 LED lamps for lighting, and realize investment of 645 million yuan for demonstration projects. .

LED lamps have the characteristics of high efficiency, energy saving, longevity, and environmental protection, but they are expensive. One LED street lamp sells for 3000-6000 yuan, which is 3-6 times that of traditional high-pressure sodium lamps. If you replace all the more than 4,000 street lamps in the high-tech western area, LED street lights, at least 12 million yuan.

Who will pay for this expensive replacement fee?

B Business Model

Buy tomorrow's bill with tomorrow's money

"This is not necessary for users to change lights." Cao Yongjian told the author with a smile. "We have introduced third-party energy-saving service companies to advance the funds. After completing the energy-saving transformation, the user saves about 80% of the monthly electricity bill to save energy. Service companies, just like mortgages, use tomorrow's money to buy today's bills. The difference is that users are zero down payment."

Cao Yongjian’s payment method is called contract energy management. Under this mechanism, energy-saving service companies sign energy-saving service outsourcing contracts with customers to provide customers with full-process services such as energy-saving design, equipment purchase and installation, and operation and maintenance. Get contracted energy savings. After the service is successful, both parties share energy-saving benefits. Energy-saving service companies recover their investments from energy-saving benefits and make profits. In general, both parties will sign a contract for 3-5 years. After the contract expires, the energy-using unit will not need to pay the relevant fees to the energy-saving service company.

This is equivalent to energy-saving service companies in the early free energy-saving transformation, the medium-term energy-using units paid by instalments to energy-saving service companies, enjoy the benefits of energy-saving transformation in the long term.

Cao Yongjian calculated an account, "The average energy saving of LED street lamps is over 50%, which is almost 200 watts. According to each street lamp working 10 hours a day, 4,000 street lamps save 2.92 million kWh of electricity a year, and save an average of 2.92 million yuan. In four years, it was 11.68 million yuan, which was enough to offset the initial replacement cost. The average life span of the LED street light is 50,000 hours, which can be used for almost 6 years."

According to Cao Yongjian, 13 new road lighting projects in Xinxing West District participated by Xinli Lighting, 200,000 lamp replacements in 1000 supermarket chains in Hongqi Supermarket, lighting projects in tunnels under Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and blue-light underground car park lighting were all adopted. Contract energy management.

With technical support, with the business model, there are also project implementation results. The remaining question is, how do these third-party energy-saving service companies finance to advance energy-saving start-up funds?

C financing channels

Where do advance funds come from? Bank loans and Bank support

When it comes to the future of energy-saving services, Li Qiang, general manager of Sichuan Shunde Energy Investment Management Co., Ltd., is showing great aspirations. Shun Tak Energy was shortlisted last year for the list of the first batch of energy conservation service companies announced by the National Development and Reform Commission and will be eligible to implement contract energy management projects nationwide.

In the interview, Li Qiang often held a calculator in his hand in order to calculate the energy-saving benefits for the writer at any time. “We will focus on the energy saving of central air-conditioning in five-star hotels. The initial investment will be 100-200 million. If it is good, it will be able to be recovered in eight or nine months. The worst is to be controlled within one and a half years. After that, it is a profit period. Generally, we sign. The 3-5 year contract has a total of more than 6 million in revenue."

Sindh Energy is only a small and medium-sized company. Where can we afford to pay for this energy-saving reform? Li Qiang opened the mystery to the author: "It is definitely a loan to the bank, but the bank will not bear any risk because the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility guarantee it to support energy conservation."

As early as 1998, the State Economic and Trade Commission, the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility began to cooperate in energy conservation promotion projects in China. In 2005, Sindh Energy became the first contract energy management executive company in the southwest region approved by the World Bank Global Environment Facility.

However, not all energy-saving service companies can obtain guaranteed loans from the World Bank. Currently, most of the energy management companies in China, most of the major sources of funds are still bank loans. "Some energy-saving companies themselves are manufacturers, they can take products as mortgage loans." Li Qiang told the author.

D has great potential

Energy-saving service 400 billion cake Sichuan market has just begun

Sindh Energy began its energy-saving service in 2003, but it is already a veteran in the energy-saving service industry in Sichuan. According to incomplete statistics from the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, there were only 20 energy-saving service agencies in Sichuan province in 2010. Among the country's top energy-saving service companies, including Shun Tak Energy, the list of Sichuan energy-saving service companies announced by the National Development and Reform Commission ranks only 10, while in the country, this number is 461.

The list shows that there are a maximum of 72 companies in Beijing, followed by 48 in Shandong, 31 in Shanghai, and 10 in Sichuan, which is only about the same as Chongqing and Yunnan. It is about half of that in Henan and Hubei, and is clearly on the map of the national energy service industry. The backward position also does not match Sichuan's overall economic status.

The relevant person in charge of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission told the media that more than 20 energy-saving service agencies are far from meeting the development goals of Sichuan's energy-saving service industry. In order to encourage more social funds to enter the energy-saving service industry, the national and local governments issued a number of Support Policies.

Li Qiang revealed to the author that through the national energy conservation service companies that have filed for the record, each energy saving equivalent to 1 ton of standard coal can enjoy national and local fiscal subsidies of more than 300 yuan and a series of preferential tax policies. "However, this acceptance process for energy conservation is relatively long and complex, and tax incentives have not yet been implemented in enterprises." Li Qiang added.

“Preliminarily estimate that the market potential of Sichuan's energy-saving service industry is at least 10 billion yuan or more.” Liu Junxin, deputy director of the Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction Division of the Sichuan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, revealed to the media that with the increase of the pressure of energy-saving and emission-reduction in the future and the change of economic development methods, energy-saving The market for service industry will grow bigger and bigger.

According to the estimation of the energy conservation service industry by the China Energy Conservation Association's Energy Conservation Service Industry Committee (EMCA), the total size of the energy saving market is about 400 billion yuan, and the space for future development is broad.