Big sky
thinking.
Media Strategy | Thought Leadership | Partnerships
Speaking & Panel Leadership | Crisis Communication
Editorial Advisory | Awards | Ad Management
Australia benefits from two key assets necessary for the success of large-scale solar projects; space and sun.
The third, less obvious but just as critical, is a strong entrepreneurial spirit combined with dogged determination, because Australia is also home to a powerful fossil fuels industry that hasn’t always been that welcoming to the upstarts in renewable energy.
Averaging 40% year on year growth in little over a decade, today Smart is one of Australia’s leading commercial solar companies and recognised as a pioneer and authority in the industry. That takes innovation, hard work and a lot of energy.
Out of the shadows
Andiron has been Smart Commercial Solar’s partner since 2012, just after its founder Huon Hoogesteger started the business from his kitchen table. Back then Smart had four employees and less than $500,000 annual revenue. But what Huon and his team did have was a smart idea, dedication and passion.
A natural pioneer and disruptor, Huon saw the need for increasing the standard of commercial solar and upending the traditional energy retail model with Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). This accelerated the uptake of commercial solar as they continued to build their business.
As Smart expanded its reach, Andiron focused on accelerating Smart’s growth through strategic media engagements, partnerships, digital marketing and discrete event and targeted industry advertising.
Growth through partnership
Positioning Smart’s forthright and visionary founder Huon, as a leading voice in the industry, Andiron was able to amplify his call for high ethical standards and intelligent energy policies supportive of the solar industry.
Further developing Smart’s role as an energy leader we coordinated a founding member role in Australia’s peak next-gen infrastructure body, OpenCities, supporting this with key thought leadership activities and data-driven discussion papers.
Transitioning into an active partnership, Andiron amplified ambitious new MarComm initiatives with wide-spread media coverage and industry-advocacy work.
“Without Andiron, Smart would be a shadow of what it is today.”
Huon Hoogesteger
Smart Commercial Solar
Founder and CEO
Value-based collaboration
From the start, Andiron and Smart’s alignment has been through shared values combined with bold commercial objectives.
Smart’s founder Huon, has become a leading voice and presence in the industry. During Andiron’s relationship with Smart, he’s developed from a gutsy emerging leader to a magnet of commentary.
Gaining a number of industry recognitions, including winning the Australian Innovation Challenge and being named an Anthill Smart 100 Company, Smart also won the Clean Energy Council design award in 2019 and the Finder Green Innovation of the Year Award 2023.
Through a highly effective long-term targeted media content strategy, Andiron has harnessed Smart’s company data to move dialogue and action forward on the issues facing energy and alternative power in Australia.
Andiron has been instrumental in positioning Smart at the centre of these conversations making Solar the go-to solar company for recent graduates from Australia’s most competitive sustainability and engineering programs. Smart’s revenue during Andiron’s engagement has grown from $500,000 to $40 million per annum.
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