New Zealand commercial rooftop solar provider Sunergise has acquired Todd’s Pacific solar operations, positioning the company as the largest privately owned commercial and industrial (C&I) solar business in the Pacific.
The deal completes Sunergise’s buy-back of the solar companies it originally sold to Todd Corporation in 2018, and follows last year’s acquisition of Vector PowerSmart.
With the latest transaction, Sunergise brings together three established renewable energy operators across Oceania, expanding its engineering, capital and project delivery capability across New Zealand and the Pacific.
Sunergise Founder and CEO Paul Makumbe says the acquisition reinforces the company’s long-term regional strategy.
“Sunergise has always been about building long-term energy resilience for New Zealand and the Pacific,” says Makumbe.
“Acquiring Todd’s Pacific operations, after buying PowerSmart from Vector, strengthens our ability to support more customers and deliver renewable infrastructure that genuinely enables the energy transition across NZ and the Pacific,” he says.
As part of the enlarged group, PowerSmart and Todd’s Pacific Solar Operations, which includes Fiji-based Clay Energy, will continue operating as standalone brands while benefiting from expanded capital backing and shared technical expertise.
“By bringing together the deep technical expertise of Sunergise, PowerSmart, and Clay Energy, we now offer unrivalled capability in both remote microgrids that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and large-scale commercial and industrial solar. This combination positions us strongly for the next phase of growth across the Pacific and New Zealand.”
For ExporterToday readers, the deal underscores the growing export footprint of New Zealand renewable energy expertise across Oceania.
Collectively, the group has delivered more than 170 large-scale renewable energy projects across the region over the past 25 years, spanning Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand and the wider South Pacific. Current installations are underway in New Zealand, Fiji, Niue, Tokelau, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.
In the domestic market, Sunergise built New Zealand’s largest rooftop solar installation at Manawa Bay shopping centre and continues to deliver major projects for corporate and industrial clients.
The acquisition marks a full-circle moment for the business. Founded in 2010 by Makumbe, Sunergise initially operated through two entities, one focused on New Zealand and another on Pacific Island projects. In 2018, Todd purchased a majority stake in both entities, creating Todd Solar as the New Zealand-focused arm.
In 2023, Todd exited its position in the New Zealand business, selling its stake back to Makumbe. The company was subsequently renamed Sunergise Limited. The latest transaction completes the buy-back of all remaining stakes previously held by Todd in the international arm, which owned Clay Energy.
Sunergise Group now comprises Sunergise, PowerSmart and Clay Energy, employing 75 staff across Auckland, Tauranga and Suva.
The consolidation positions the group to scale both grid-connected commercial rooftop solar in New Zealand and remote microgrid systems across Pacific Island nations, markets where energy security, diesel displacement and decarbonisation are driving investment.
