Digital advertising company Visual Vibe Limited is moving to take its entire network of outdoor screens off the national grid as it seeks to halve energy costs and eliminate outage-related downtime.

Following a recent partnership with Florida-based renewables firm Rush Hour Engineering, the Kintyre Holdings (JA) Limited subsidiary is getting ready to install solar power across its network of outdoor advertising screens.

Kintyre Holdings founder, chairman, and CEO, Tyrone Wilson, who also heads Visual Vibe, said the plan is to have every screen in the network — existing and new — powered by solar energy.

Visual Vibe currently operates 14 outdoor digital signs, for which energy costs now averages about $24 million annually, but the company will be adding another 15 screens shortly, which Wilson said could push annual electricity costs to as much as $60 million as the network expands.

The solar roll-out is, however, expected to reduce those costs by at least 50 per cent, bringing yearly energy expenditure to about $30 million.

Members of the Kintyre and Rush Hour Engineering teams photographed together. From left: Tyrone Wilson, CEO of Visual Vibe; Edwin Xiao, CEO of Rush Hour Engineering; Adrian Smith, chief investment officer and deputy CEO of Kintyre Holdings; and Dane Fairweather; chief operating officer of Rush Hour Engineering.

“Electricity cost has long been one of the digital advertising business’s largest single monthly expenses, and with the war pushing up gas prices, we don’t see that easing anytime soon. So we had no other choice than to tap into solar,” Wilson told the Jamaica Observer.

“If we can cut our electricity bill by about 50 to 60 per cent, that would lift Visual Vibe’s profits enough so that we can keep funding growth from our own cash flow instead of seeking outside investment,” he further said to the Business Observer.

Stressing the need to have more efficient systems, Wilson said the new partnership also allows Visual Vibe to offer greater reliability to its clients during periods of disruption.

“Reliability is the currency of advertising. When a brand invests in our network, their campaign must be on screen every single time — and rising energy costs and grid outages have been a real challenge for our entire industry, and so this partnership with Rush Hour Engineering aims to solve those issues permanently “ Wilson said.

“By taking our screens off-grid, we are eliminating downtime completely while protecting our advertisers’ investment, as we also build the kind of resilient, sustainable media infrastructure that Jamaica deserves. It is a multimillion-dollar commitment to our clients and to the environment,” he added.

The solar programme forms a part of broader upgrades and expansion of Visual Vibe’s network and coincides with the company’s latest quest to deploy its newest high-resolution screens to flagship sites and premium locations along some of the city’s busiest corridor.

Phase one of the solar installation is scheduled to begin this week in the new Kingston area before being rolled out across the wider network.

Visual Vibe was acquired by Kintyre (trading then as iCreate) about three years ago for more than $500 million. Since then, the company has continued to expand its digital advertising operations, which now account for a substantial portion of group revenue.

In addition to its outdoor signs, Visual Vibe operates more than 50 indoor screens. Through a multichannel model combining outdoor billboards, indoor screens, and mobile formats, the company seeks to give advertisers multiple ways of reaching their target audiences.

Rush Hour Engineering President and CEO Edwin Xiao, commenting on the partnership, said the project demonstrates the potential for renewable energy to transform commercial infrastructure.

“We are proud to partner with Visual Vibe on a project of this scale,” Xiao said.

“Powering Jamaica’s largest digital advertising network entirely with solar energy demonstrates what renewable technology can do for the country’s commercial infrastructure. This partnership sets a new standard for how media assets are powered across the region.”

Rush Hour Engineering is a provider of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for residential and commercial projects. In addition to solar systems, its capabilities include electric vehicle chargers; LED lighting; and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design.

The Florida-based company, as a Tesla-certified partner, also provides energy-efficiency and renewable-energy solutions aimed at reducing electricity costs and carbon emissions.

As Kintyre doubles down on opportunities arising from the shift towards renewable energy, the Jamaica Stock Exchange-listed holding company earlier this year announced, through a separate partnership with Rush Hour Engineering, plans to strategically enter the EV market as it also positions to capitalise on developments in the transport sector.

“Renewable energy is the future, and we’re investing in it. It has been on our radar for a very long time, but we are now actively tapping into its potential,” Wilson said.