Siemens and Australian investment company Macquarie Group are to partner in a venture called Calibrant Energy, an “energy-as-a-service” entity, somewhat like subscription-style software-as-a-service. The idea is that Calibrant will finance the installation of small-scale power generation and storage assets, such as solar photovoltaics and batteries, and then users will pay for the energy on an ongoing basis – assumedly on a per kilowatt-hour basis, rather than a flat monthly or quarterly fee. According to the Reuters article on the matter, the venture will target entities such as companies, municipalities and hospitals as their customers, and for such entities the attraction may be in the lack of upfront costs; one would think Calibrant would need to be able to offer the electricity at a cheaper cost than the grid. Macquarie is to supply the capital for the venture, while Siemens will provide the smart energy technology expertise; in such an arrangement they are not alone, with Carlyle Group having partnered with Schneider Electric and BlackRock having partnered with General Electric in other energy-as-a-service ventures.