Smart Commercial Energy Introduces Over Easy Solar to Australia

For many commercial buildings, the barrier to solar has never been ambition. 

It has been the building itself. 

Across Australia, there are rooftops where traditional solar simply does not work. Structural constraints, roof membranes, heritage requirements, weight limits or warranty risks can rule out conventional systems before the business case is even considered. These are the projects that tend to find their way to Smart. 

Now, Smart Commercial Energy has partnered with Norwegian clean energy company Over Easy Solar to introduce a new rooftop solar solution to Australia, designed specifically for buildings where standard approaches fall short. Smart will be the first commercial solar provider to bring this technology to the local market, reflecting our market-leading approach to solving complex energy challenges. 

A different approach to a familiar problem 

The Over Easy Solar solution is a prefabricated, vertically oriented rooftop solar system that sits directly on the roof surface. The panels are pre-assembled and pre-racked, reducing installation complexity and removing the need for traditional tilt frames for installation. 

The result is a system that adapts to the building, rather than asking the building to adapt to the solar. 

Over Easy Solar can also work alongside traditional rooftop panels, as the vertical bifacial modules produce more energy in the early morning and later afternoon, rather than spiking during the middle part of the day.  

When used together, the two systems can create a more balanced spread of solar across the day, giving businesses access to useful generation for longer. This can help to create a smoother, more practical energy profile that better supports how a business uses power. 

A solution shaped by its origins 

Over Easy Solar was developed in Scandinavia, where rooftops are often very different to those typically seen in Australia. 

Across Northern Europe, green roofs, membrane roofs and highly engineered roof systems are far more common. These roofs prioritise insulation, stormwater management and longevity, but are often incompatible with traditional solar racking and penetrations. Weight limits, waterproofing integrity and long-term roof warranties are critical considerations. 

Over Easy Solar’s innovative solution was developed in response to these conditions. The system was designed from the outset to sit lightly on the roof, adding only 12kg per square metre. This is achieved using a prefabricated, low-intervention format that reduces reliance on conventional racking and penetrations. Its vertical orientation allows solar to be added to rooftops that would otherwise remain unused, particularly where green roofs or sensitive roof systems are in place. 

Solving the problems standard solar cannot 

Some buildings simply cannot host conventional solar, and Smart has often been engaged on projects where standard equipment is not enough. At sites such as the North Sydney Coal Loader and St Andrew’s Cathedral, traditional panels could not meet the architectural or structural requirements. Those projects required emerging technologies, including transparent and custom photovoltaic components, to achieve both performance and design intent. 

The same practical thinking underpins Smart’s partnership with Canyon Solar, where prefabricated canopy systems have brought efficiency and build certainty to sites with tight constraints. 

Over Easy Solar follows this pattern. It is a product for situations where standard rooftop systems are not viable, providing a safe and considered alternative for complex buildings. 

Trial first, scale when the data supports it 

Smart and Over Easy Solar are introducing this technology to Australia through a targeted trial phase. 

Initial projects will be small-scale rooftop installations on carefully selected sites, designed to build robust data around performance, installation efficiency, structural impact and long-term suitability under Australian conditions. 

As trials progress, Smart will share learnings and results so customers can make informed decisions about whether this solution is right for their assets, their objectives and their risk profile. 

Innovation combined with experience 

As buildings become more complex and expectations around performance and sustainability continue to rise, modular and prefabricated energy solutions are playing an increasingly important role. 

By bringing Over Easy Solar to Australia through a disciplined, engineering-led pathway, Smart continues to lead where it matters most. Solving difficult problems, using the right technology, and backing decisions with evidence.