One study revealed that over half of the businesses surveyed suffered as a result of the energy crisis. The current energy crisis has brought about the need for businesses to focus on energy independence.
To increase this, businesses are looking towards commercial solar installation.
Keep reading for a comprehensive guide to commercial solar installation for business owners. This guide will discuss the benefits, installation process, and considerations for businesses when installing commercial solar systems.
Benefits Of Commercial Solar Installation For Businesses
Let’s discuss what solar panels can do for your business and how suitable they are for commercial properties.
Can Adapt To Both Small And Large-Scale Business Needs
Whether you’re a smaller or larger-scale business, you can invest in solar panels. Solar panels can replace a portion or all of your energy consumption. The only factor that affects your viability for solar installation is the amount of space you have for installation and solar system storage.
Reduces Carbon Emissions
When a business invests in solar panels, they are taking steps to become more eco-conscious and think ethically about their environmental impact. Solar panels provide reliable and sustainable energy, allowing businesses to exercise corporate responsibility.
Reduces Monthly Overheads
Energy prices have soared in the last year, and many businesses need help to keep up with this change while still offering competitive services to their clients and customers. Solar installation can help businesses drastically reduce their monthly overheads and vulnerability to fluctuating energy prices. Financial forecasting and planning become easier with lessened dependence on energy bills.
Considerations To Make Before Investing In Commercial Solar Panels
Before investing in solar panels for your commercial property, you must know your options and the additional features you can access. Consider the conditions listed below before you set a plan.
Usable Space
Finding usable space for your commercial solar installation isn’t as simple as it appears. You’ll need to consider these factors to determine whether you have suitable and usable space:
- Shade – although you may have rooftop space, it could be obstructed by other buildings and trees. If the rooftop is shaded for most of the day, there may be better investments than solar panels for your company.
- Ground space – if you do not have any available rooftop space, you can use any ground space or lots surrounding your building.
- Space – you’ll also need to determine whether you have sufficient space to accommodate the number of solar panels you wish to install.
You should consider these things before contacting an installer for commercial solar energy systems.
Owning Your Commercial Property
You may be unable to install solar panels if you rent your commercial property. Before considering switching to commercial solar power, reach out to your landlord. Ultimately, they will decide to invest in solar panels for the property. If you own your commercial space, you will be able to make the decision independently, and you will not need to seek permission.
Grants And Rebates
A Solar for Business program in Australia can help you cover the upfront cost of investing in solar panels. You can cover almost 50% of the upfront costs for your solar power initiative. The maximum offering with this rebate is $3500. Using this rebate can help you access solar panels as soon as possible without taking the time to save and allocate funds for the upfront cost.
Operating Hours
You need to consider solar panel viability in line with your operating hours. If your business opens at night, you will not benefit from solar power. However, if you invest in a solar battery system, you can store the energy you generate during the day to use later at night. This means that you will need to include the cost of a solar battery in your budget.
What’s Involved In Commercial Solar Installation?
When you invest in solar panels for commercial use, you need to contact a reliable installation expert with the proper certifications. If you are accessing a grant to fund your solar panels, you must ensure you choose a commercial solar installation expert approved by the grant program.
Once you have chosen an installer, you will need to discuss with them the components you need for your system:
- Solar panels – you must choose high-quality solar panels sourced from a reliable manufacturer. The solar panels should have the relevant certificates, or you could invest in a lower-quality product with replaced parts.
- Solar inverter – the solar inverter is part of your solar system and is responsible for turning the energy generated by your solar panels into usable energy for your business. You must decide where to store the solar inverter for easy access. You can choose a loft area, outbuilding, or garage to store this component.
- Investing in a solar battery allows you to store the energy your panels generate for later use, which is ideal for businesses that operate at night.
Once you have discussed these components with your commercial solar installation provider, you can begin the installation process. However, it doesn’t end there. Once your solar panels are installed, you will need to maintain them.
The maintenance requirements for solar systems are relatively few. You must ensure that your solar panels are not blocked by dirt, debris, or shade. By cleaning your panels and mitigating the growth of trees and shrubs, you will ensure that your solar panels are working optimally, helping you to achieve ROI.
Summary
There are many reasons why installing solar panels for your commercial property is a good idea, but the energy crisis is the most significant motivator. If you’re considering installing solar panels, you need to know that they are viable and understand the components you need before contacting an installation expert.
If you are seeking to install solar panels for your company, contact our installation experts at SolarPath.
Read Also:
5 Reasons Why 2023 Is The Year You Should Invest In A Solar Battery
The Australian Solar Industry – How Do We Compare To The Rest Of The World?
