Tropical Battery Company Limited is consolidating its solar operations into a single entity as it moves to streamline execution and improve profitability across its renewable energy business.

The restructuring will see Tropical Renewable Energy integrated with KAYA Energy Group. In a press statement on Monday, management said the consolidation is expected to accelerate growth and improve margins by operating as a cohesive solar company while continuing to use both the Tropical Renewable Energy and KAYA Energy Group brands in different markets.

The operational shift comes alongside a leadership transition at the subsidiary level, with Oliver Hill set to step back from full-time executive duties at the end of 2025.

Tropical disclosed that Hill will cease his role as chief executive officer of its majority-owned subsidiaries — Tropical Renewable Energy Limited, Tropical Mobility Limited, and Tropical Finance Limited — effective December 31, 2025. From January 1, 2026, he will transition to a consulting role, providing advisory support on select projects within the renewable energy portfolio.

Responsibilities previously held by Hill will be redistributed among the existing leadership team, primarily within the KAYA Energy Group.

The merged solar business will be led by Karina Chez as chief executive officer, alongside Chief Operating Officer Andrew Cramer, with support from David Walton. Cramer will assume responsibility for solar initiatives, while Walton will also oversee Tropical Mobility and serve as general manager of Tropical Battery Company Limited.

Hill joined the group in October 2021 at a time when Tropical Battery was deliberately expanding beyond its traditional automotive battery business. His tenure coincided with the company’s push into renewable energy solutions, electric mobility and energy financing — areas that have since become central to its diversification strategy.

That expansion phase has been marked by a series of regional and international moves. In 2023, Tropical took a strategic stake in KAYA Energy Group, extending its renewable energy footprint into the Dominican Republic. The following year it invested in California-based Rose Batteries, a manufacturer of mission-critical custom battery packs serving industries such as robotics, medical devices, aerospace, and telecommunications.

Together, those investments signalled Tropical Battery’s ambition to build scale beyond Jamaica and reduce reliance on any single market or product line. They also added layers of operational complexity, with multiple subsidiaries operating across different geographies and segments of the energy value chain. With operations spanning Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and the United States, and customers in more than 30 countries, Tropical Battery has positioned itself as a diversified energy solutions provider.

The consolidation of the solar businesses suggests the group is now shifting from expansion to integration, with a sharper focus on execution and returns. By housing its solar operations within a single structure, management appears intent on simplifying decision-making, tightening cost control, and extracting greater value from assets already in place.

“This transition is part of the company’s ongoing strategic organisational adjustments to enhance operational efficiency and leverage internal expertise for continued growth in energy storage and renewable solutions,” the company said.

Tropical Battery’s full-year results are still pending, but its most recent interim report points to a business that is growing at the top line while absorbing the costs of expansion and integration. For the nine months ended June 30, 2025, the group reported revenue of $4.63 billion, an increase of 8.5 per cent year on year, supported by strong demand in its core energy storage segment and the fuller inclusion of its US operations.

Profitability, however, remained under pressure. The company recorded a net loss of $146.6 million for the period, compared with a profit a year earlier. Management attributed the decline largely to higher administrative, marketing, and selling expenses linked to acquisitions, facility relocations, and the full-year inclusion of its US subsidiary, as well as elevated finance costs.

The renewables segment also underperformed year to date due to project timing, with several solar projects pushed into the fourth quarter — a factor the company expects to reverse as those projects are completed and recognised in revenue.