Inside Xurya’s journey to powering the future with solar panels

In the heart of Indonesia’s archipelago, where sunlight shines on emerald forests, a quiet crisis continues to unfold—the country still struggles with limited access to clean, sustainable energy. Despite its natural riches, the nation remains tethered to the limited energy resources, with the majority of its power drawn from fossil fuels like coal and oil—remnants of a past that no longer serve the promise of a greener future.

Reducing its dependence on fossil energy might be the key to eliminating many impacts on life, particularly health and the environment. Air pollution caused by the processing of fossil fuels increases the risk of respiratory disease. Environmentally, coal usage contributes to rising carbon dioxide levels, which are a major driver of global warming.

The government, together with relevant stakeholders, also continues to seek solutions to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2060. One of the key strategies is the adoption of sustainable energy.

Indonesia is geographically blessed with abundant renewable energy resources such as wind, geothermal, and solar. Among these, solar energy stands out as a particularly viable solution due to the country’s tropical climate and consistent year-round sunshine. 

In fact, the potential solar energy capacity in Indonesia is estimated to reach up to 500 GW. However, as of 2022, only around 13 GW of this potential has been utilized by the government, public, and private sectors.

Yet, maximizing the use of solar energy in Indonesia is not a task for the government alone—it also requires active participation from the private sector. 

Comes Xurya, an East Ventures-backed company that has made significant contributions to increasing the adoption of solar power among businesses.

In addition to supporting the growth of the solar panel industry, Xurya has introduced innovations that help business owners reduce their energy costs and improve operational efficiency.

The beginning of Xurya’s journey

Founded in 2018 by Eka Himawan, Edwin Widjonarko, and Philip Effendy, Xurya has become a role model in Indonesia’s solar energy industry. The company offers complete solutions—from financing and engineering design to installation and operations—across various regions in Indonesia.

The idea of launching a renewable energy company had been on Eka and Edwin’s minds since 2007. Both had backgrounds in the solar energy sector: Eka was working at a hedge fund investing in solar technology, while Edwin was a researcher specializing in solar panels. However, the plan was put on hold as they pursued their careers.

“Fast forward about ten years—I had worked in various financial sectors while Edwin was at Intel. In 2017, we reconnected and felt that the timing was right for solar energy to take off in Indonesia. That’s when we began the journey. Later, Philip joined us to support the operational side of the business,” Eka explained.

Their shared concern about climate change and the urgent need for clean, sustainable energy solutions in Indonesia ultimately became the driving force behind the founding of Xurya.

Xurya has made remarkable progress across multiple fronts—from solar adoption and human resource development to technological innovation.

To date, Xurya has developed over 100 MW of solar power capacity through nearly 200 projects across regions, including Java island, Medan, Makassar, Palembang, and Bali. Through its pioneering zero-upfront-cost solar rental model, Xurya has enabled more than 100 companies to transition to solar energy, significantly contributing to national efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Collaboration has been key to this success. Xurya has delivered projects efficiently by working with over 150 local EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) partners. As part of its strategic mission, the firm is also committed to empowering local talent and building a supportive ecosystem for the national energy transition. 

This commitment is reflected in its partnerships with communities, academic institutions, and private organizations to conduct technical training programs. Notably, Xurya is a founding member of the Solar Academy Indonesia.

“I believe that close collaboration can accelerate the use of solar energy in Indonesia. Through synergy with partners and other stakeholders, I am confident that we will not only achieve our energy targets but also deliver a far greater economic and environmental impact,” Eka shared.

Product advancement marks another major milestone for Xurya. The company is a pioneer in incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) technology for remote monitoring and management of solar power systems (PLTS), and in utilizing machine learning to optimize system performance. These innovations enhance energy efficiency while improving the reliability and safety of solar installations for users.

Furthermore, the company is also exploring the use of AI (artificial intelligence) to push its advancement even further.

“We’re currently working on upgrading our machine learning systems into AI. With AI, we can go a step further—identifying errors, diagnosing the cause, and suggesting solutions. Then, all the human operator needs to do is execute,” Eka explained.

Scaling sustainably while staying agile

Some say that no business is without a challenge, and that could not be truer for Xurya. The road to where the company stands today has been far from easy.

In its early stages, Xurya faced a significant hurdle: low market awareness among Indonesian businesses regarding renewable energy, solar panels, and the concept of a zero-initial-cost model. At the time, most business owners opted for conventional electricity as it is the most straightforward and reliable option.

On the other hand, solar panels were widely perceived as expensive technology to adapt and complex to maintain, and there were only a few companies offering solar energy solutions in the market.

“The beginning of the challenge was in 2018. Nobody cared about ESG—Environmental, Social, and Governance. People were skeptical and saw it as some sort of alien technology,” Eka said.

Rather than seeing this as a setback, the team saw an opportunity to build trust. They simplified the transition to solar energy with a zero-upfront-cost business model, making it easier for commercial and industrial businesses to adopt renewable energy. 

Meanwhile, they invested heavily in market education and offered personalized consultations to demonstrate the long-term environmental and financial benefits of solar energy.

To date, the solar power plants operated by Xurya across more than 100 corporate clients in Indonesia generate approximately 164 million kWh of clean energy annually—equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by around 146,645 tons of CO2 per year.

Looking ahead, Xurya plans to further increase solar energy adoption by expanding collaborations with both public and private sectors.

“We are currently planning to sell electricity generated from our solar panels to PLN. In addition, we have a strategy called off-grid or micro-grid solutions, where solar panels are installed at mining sites and resorts to replace diesel generators as the source of electricity. We’re aiming to replace up to 80% of diesel use with solar energy,” Eka explained.

Following the success of the Climate Impact Innovations Challenge (CIIC) 2024 edition, with over 500 applicants from 50 countries worldwide, East Ventures and Temasek Foundation present the CIIC 2025 to empower tech innovators to showcase their sustainable solutions.

This year, Energy Transition is again spotlighted as one of the three main focus areas of the competition. The applicants will compete for a total prize pool of Rp10 billion to pilot their solutions in Indonesia to tackle various ecological challenges and mitigate the impacts of climate change. 

“There’s a huge opportunity here. A lot of people say climate change is the challenge of a lifetime—but I like to think of it as the chance of a lifetime,” Eka said. “Instead of seeing it as climate change, see it as a climate chance. This is our moment to change what we’ve been emitting into the world for the past 70 to 100 years. If we don’t take action now, we might not get another opportunity.”

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