In 2007, Erik Zimmerman was growing increasingly concerned about the environment and wanted to make a difference for his children’s future. He was determined to convert his home to solar energy. But he found that solar panels were prohibitively expensive.

Undeterred, Erik investigated all the options and found that if he negotiated in bulk, like the big retailers did, he could buy high-quality solar systems at a really affordable price. So Erik took a deep breath, mortgaged his home and bought a container-load of solar systems. Enough, in fact, to share with 46 other homes in his neighbourhood, as well as his own. Together, they could save on Erik’s purchase price and the efficiencies of coordinated installation, as well as cut their energy bills and usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

And that’s how EKO Energy was born. And grew. And grew. And grew. From that first EKO Community and the bulk-buying strategy, we now offer you the chance to join us and 6,000 Australian households that now use the power of the sun.

The first ever solar neighbourhood