Capability Statement

February 2023

About us

Innovative clean energy for business.

Upstream° is a clean energy generator. We fund and construct private power stations for Australian schools, businesses and government entities - but more than this, we are a passionate team of individuals who are committed to discovering and delivering the latest technologies in energy management, generation and storage.

Founded in 2013, Upstream° delivers low-cost sustainable energy from over 300 small and large-scale power stations.

Our mission is to empower people to generate and store their own electricity, manage usage and minimise wastage.

Our solutions are designed to deliver nil operational energy costs to our clients by 2030.

On average, we cut our client's power bills by 14.7% in the first bill we send them.

big sky thinking°

Our technologies

Solar

Efficient, economical, practical. Rooftop PV solar is our core product, can be applied to practically any energy user, and is demonstrated to be the lowest cost source of power in Australia.

Building Management Systems

Real-time remote monitoring and control of your consumption patterns, by intelligent algorithms to reduce wastage and inefficiencies.

Intelligent HVAC Controls

Maximising efficiency in climate controls of loads from heating, ventilation and air conditioning – which can be responsible for up to 70% of electricity usage.

Battery Storage

The next evolution in renewable technology; battery storage allows on-demand delivery of power, reduces peak loads and can remove grid connections altogether.

LED Lighting

Compliment your sustainable power source by directly addressing your lighting loads. Longer-lasting, lower maintenance.

Power Factor Correction

Maximising efficiency in electrical loads by improving voltage to equipment, maximising current and reducing power losses. Particularly useful for industrial energy users with heavy mechanical loads.

"If we didn't do something about it, our costs could blow out by $1m."

— Ian Robinson, Executive Chairman - Beacon Lighting

How does it work?

Immediate action on energy costs

Timeline	Project Stage
Week 0-1	Based on your daily, seasonal and historical usage profile, Upstream° will design your customised system, supported by your electricity supply agreement and submit all regulatory paperwork.
Week 1-12	Upstream will directly fund, install and commission your system with structural engineering reports. Our PPAs are the only legal framework within Australia properly catering to tenanted commercial properties.
Year 1-20	Completely customisable PPA terms up to 20 years. Power is taken from the system rather than grid supply and separately metered. Longer terms infer a lower c/kWh price. Servicing, insurance and monitoring is covered by Upstream°.
Post-term	At the conclusion of the term, Upstream transfers the asset to you at nil cost along with all warranty information. You will then receive full economic benefit of your own private power station.

Case Studies

Beacon Lighting National Project

Beacon Lighting is Australia’s leading and largest specialist retailer of lighting, ceiling fans and light globes with over 100 national stores. Their energy profile is consistent, with 7-day consumption.

Upstream° delivers clean energy to Beacon via a PPA in order to reduce operational costs, lower greenhouse emissions and promote sustainability.

The project involved LED lighting, sub-metering controls and HVAC treatment and saw Beacon become a retail industry leader, lowering their carbon usage significantly and capitalising on under-utilised roof space on leased buildings.

Crucial to project delivery was the successful negotiation of roof access across the store portfolio, which Upstream° achieved after liaising with dozens of individual property owners.

Upstream° installed over 2.5MW in one of Australia’s largest collective commercial installations, reduced Beacon’s annual store spend by up to 30% and cut energy carbon emissions by over 2,800,000 kg each year.

Woolcock Street Supa Stores

Woolcock Street Supa Stores is a prominent Townsville Large Format Retail outlet, offering high quality sporting goods, clothing and homewares.

Tenants include national brands Fantastic Furniture, Intersport, 4WD Supa Centre & Salvo Stores.

The original centre owners Properties & Pathways engaged Upstream° as part of a progressive initiative to improve sustainability, drive down tenant energy costs and increase retention. Upstream° designed, funded and delivered a combined solution including rooftop solar and an embedded network in April 2019.

Participating tenants saw immediate savings of 23% - 27% compared to their previous costs, enjoying both reduced daily supply charges and fixed, low electricity rates as part of the program.

Occupants become incentivised to extend their tenancies to keep operating costs low and maintain sustainability targets.

The rooftop solar installed delivers 80-90% of the on-site energy requirements, reducing loads on the grid and improving NABERS ratings.

Fairfield Homemaker Centre

Fairfield Homemaker Centre is a new six-stage complex in Townsville and home to multiple Large Format Retail outlets.

Stage 1 was completed in June 2016 and Stage 2 in July 2018, with the remaining 4 stages under construction.

Upstream° took over operations of the embedded network in July 2018 and immediately delivered energy savings of 20% - 30% to the building occupants, compared to their previous costs.

Stage 2 was tenanted in mid-July and Upstream° was able to utilise their experience in embedded networks and project management to deliver the power supply on time to incoming tenants QLD X-Ray, Tradelink, Nutrition Warehouse and Lincraft.

As network operator, Upstream° is funding solar installations across the complex and implementing energy efficiency measures to drive down power costs, such as LED lighting, Power Factor Correction and advanced Building Management Systems.

We are rolling out the embedded network across all 6 stages, covering +30 tenants and spanning 8 acres of commercial property.

Upstream° is designing and delivering a market-leading project that will be 100% self-sufficient and with no external energy costs by 2030.

Executive Team

Nathan Begley

Managing Director / Founder

Nathan founded Upstream Energy in 2013 after fifteen years’ experience in urban firefighting and emergency response with Fire and Rescue New South Wales.

Upstream° has developed one of Australia's largest and most successful commercial rooftop solar Power Purchase Agreement portfolios. As its major shareholder, Mr Begley has bootstrapped Upstream's growth using prudently sourced finance. His leadership in focusing in growth by helping customers has been the driving force behind the opportunity Upstream° now presents.

Nathan's role as Managing Director is overseeing the day to day operations of the business with primary responsibility for all aspects of Upstream's success. He continues to drive the use of new technologies and an innovative approach to delivering clean energy.

Mark Reilly

Director

Mark is a founding Director of Upstream° and provider of sharp and solid counsel with a strong background on risk management. Coupled with his role as a Director his primary focus is on governance and risk management.

His extensive background spanning thirty years of emergency management, strategic response, logistics and administration remains a cornerstone of Upstream's corporate governance. He has served in various roles of national institutions in fire and rescue, including as Manager of Fire and Rescue NSW Command Leadership and Management Unit at Education and Training.

To learn more, contact us at hello@upstreamenergy.com.au

Or visit www.upstreamenergy.com.au