SolarCloud founder John Kennedy explains how renters and apartment dwellers can finally tap into solar savings without panels on their roof in this founder feature.
The best ideas come from frustration. If something bothers you enough to keep you up at night, chances are it bothers thousands of others, too. That’s your signal.
In this week’s Founder Friday, Dynamic Business talks with SolarCloud CEO and Founder John Kennedy to discuss his business journey from personal frustration to creating Australia’s first cloud-based solar platform.
For Kennedy, the revolutionary platform represents the answer to a deeply personal problem. “SolarCloud was born from a mix of frustration, curiosity, and stubbornness. I wanted solar for my own home, but like millions of Australians, I couldn’t get it,” Kennedy explains. “My roof was shaded, I was renting, and I moved every few years, all things that made traditional rooftop solar impractical.”
The realisation hit him hard. Australia is one of the sunniest countries in the world, yet millions are locked out of renewable energy simply because of their housing situation.
“It didn’t make sense to me that something as simple and powerful as solar energy was available only to people with the ‘perfect roof’ and deep pockets,” he says.
Solar without the roof
That’s when Kennedy had his breakthrough moment.”Everything else in life has moved to the cloud, data, photos, music, even work. So why not solar?” he recalls. “Why couldn’t energy be portable, accessible, and inclusive, just like other modern technologies?”
That single question became his obsession. Kennedy wanted to create a model that gave everyone a fair way to participate in the renewable revolution, whether they rented, lived in an apartment, or simply didn’t want panels bolted to their roof.
The result is a platform that allows anyone, anywhere, to invest in solar hosted on rooftops around the world and receive credits directly on any Australian energy bill. No installation required, no maintenance, no roof necessary.
Kennedy’s first key decision was to focus on accessibility before technology.
“Many clean-energy startups get caught up in hardware and engineering, but I knew the real challenge wasn’t generating solar power; it was giving people a way to access it,” he explains. “SolarCloud is designed to remove every traditional barrier: no need to own property, no large upfront investment, and no installation.”
From day one, the team prioritised user simplicity.n “If someone can buy a Netflix subscription, they can buy solar,” Kennedy says.
Regulatory groundwork takes time
Another crucial decision was building long-term regulatory foundations. Given SolarCloud is the first of its kind in Australia, Kennedy needed to ensure it complied with both energy and financial services laws.
“Securing those licences took over six years, but it gave us the credibility and legal framework to grow safely and sustainably,” he says.
Then came the pilot testing phases, which for solar takes at least a year to ensure performance across all seasons. “I wanted to create something that worked for everyday Australians, something simple, safe and trustworthy,” Kennedy adds.
What makes SolarCloud different is that it’s solar without the roof. Every other solar company still depends on physical installation and property ownership. Kennedy has completely changed the model by making solar cloud-based and effectively portable.
The platform uses rooftops across the world and lets everyday Australians purchase solar in affordable increments. From there, credits are applied to their energy bills, regardless of provider.
“That means if you move homes or change electricity companies, your solar effectively comes with you,” Kennedy explains. “We also operate on the belief that clean energy should be flexible.”
Customers can start with as little as one cloud-based panel for $139 and increase their investment over time. Kennedy has seen this model resonate deeply with younger Australians, renters, and those conscious of their environmental footprint but unable to install traditional systems.
Staying ahead comes from listening to people’s real energy frustrations. Rising electricity prices, unreliable feed-in tariffs, and unaffordable batteries are major concerns.
“We designed SolarCloud to address all three, offering a lower-cost, maintenance-free alternative that works for anyone with an energy bill,” Kennedy says.
The team is now developing a virtual battery that will give customers even greater flexibility. “Their solar will credit their bill so they can relax and use their energy any time of day or night. It’s the next step in our mission to make renewable energy truly mobile and adaptable.”
Hearing “no” a hundred times
The biggest challenge Kennedy faced was that nobody had ever done this before. There was no blueprint for cloud-based solar. “Early on, I was told ‘you can’t do that’ more times than I can count, by energy experts, lawyers, and even friends,” he recalls.
The regulatory side proved incredibly complex. Kennedy had to navigate Australian energy laws, financial licensing requirements, and international infrastructure partnerships all at once. “It took years of consultation, testing, and legal groundwork to ensure the model was compliant, transparent, and scalable,” he says.
The second challenge was education. Because it’s such a new concept, people struggled to believe it was real. “The idea that you could buy solar in the cloud and have it credited to your bill sounds too good to be true,” Kennedy admits. “The only way to overcome that was through real customer results, showing people their reduced bills, month after month.”
There were also personal challenges. Balancing innovation, regulation, and family life wasn’t easy. Kennedy, who has two children living with him full-time, admits there were moments where giving up would have been the easier choice.
“But my two kids have been my biggest source of strength. Their belief in the mission and their reminders that we’re building a cleaner future for them kept me going through the hardest times.”
The biggest lesson Kennedy has learned is that persistence matters more than perfection. “Innovation takes time. You can’t skip the groundwork, and you can’t rush trust,” he reflects. “Every ‘no’ you hear is just proof that you’re doing something that hasn’t been done before.”
Keep purpose front and centre
You can build the most innovative product in the world, but if it doesn’t genuinely help people or solve a real problem, it won’t last.
Kennedy’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is straightforward: start with a real problem. “The best ideas come from frustration. If something bothers you enough to keep you up at night, chances are it bothers thousands of others, too. That’s your signal.”
Secondly, he urges founders not to underestimate regulation or compliance. “If you’re entering a heavily regulated space like energy, health, or finance, surround yourself with the right advisors early. It may slow you down in the beginning, but it will save you years of trouble later.”
Third, keep your purpose front and centre. Entrepreneurship is full of highs and lows, funding challenges, scepticism, and burnout, but a strong sense of purpose will pull you through. “For me, it’s about giving every Australian, regardless of where they live, a fair chance to benefit from clean energy,” Kennedy says.
Finally, Kennedy has a blunt message for those entering entrepreneurship for the wrong reasons. “If you’re doing it for the money or to be a business owner because you think it’s going to make you a fortune, stick to your day job,” he warns.
“Remember that technology means nothing without people. You can build the most innovative product in the world, but if it doesn’t genuinely help people or solve a real problem, it won’t last. Always come back to empathy – what does the customer need, and how can your idea make their life better? Is it simple to use in the modern world on demand, straight from your phone?”
For anyone just starting out, Kennedy offers this final piece of advice: “Be patient, be persistent, and be prepared to hear ‘no’ a hundred times before you hear ‘yes.’ The world doesn’t need more ideas; it needs people willing to see them through.”
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