Commercial Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems are growing in popularity thanks to accessible and diverse funding options; increased affordability; and drastically improved payback periods.
Most businesses would leap at the chance to secure their energy costs, reduce their carbon footprint and potentially generate revenue from a commercial solar array.
But is your business suitable? Do you have the necessary space, premises and infrastructure? This short blog examines the key elements you should consider as a mini checklist.
Commercial solar considerations
Is there suitable space?
You need some open space to fit solar. It does not need to be a roof. Car parks, fields or even wasteland can be utilised.
If you are considering using your roof, it should meet these recommendations:
- It should be in good condition
- It should be structurally sound
- It should have plenty of room unobstructed by equipment
- If the roof is pitched, it should be greater than 3,000 square meters
- If the roof is flat, it should be greater than 4,500 square meters
- It should be free of asbestos and fibre cement
- Its density of skylights and windows should be low
If you are considering using ground space:
- Look for an area greater than 8,000 square meters
- The area should be unobstructed
You should own the premises, or be working with the premises owner to determine suitability.
When do you use most of your power?
Solar PV is most useful during the day, unless it is paired with a battery storage solution. If you need power during the night, solar will not be suitable on its own.
If you use equal amounts of kilowatt hours (KWh) during the day and night, PV could still be useful to cover your daytime usage as it can be paired with grid-sourced energy.
Equally, if your baseload peaks during the middle of the day, when the sun is most powerful, you could operate a heating or cooling based system which just powers your building’s HVAC system.
Do you have net zero or carbon reduction targets?
Many businesses which are part of global groups have carbon reduction targets thrust upon them. Many create their own and many must fall in line with public policies.
Solar energy is zero carbon. It will replace 100% of the carbon you would usually emit via grid-sourced energy. If you are looking at ways of achieving your net zero or carbon reduction goals, with beneficial biproducts, solar is a brilliant option.
How will you finance it?
This question is easier to answer than ever before. There are many different ways to affordably make commercial solar a reality for businesses of all sizes.
Read our guide on the three main funding routes, all of which are accessible by working with Procure Smart.
Free, no-obligation commercial solar study
If the details in this blog have piqued your interest, Procure Smart can provide you with a free feasibility study to determine how much your business would benefit from solar PV.
Simply fill in the form below and one of our experts will be in touch within one business day.
