The energy costs for a business are considerable. The daily power usage for running all the computers, lights, communication equipment and security cameras adds up. The utility bill is something a company cannot avoid paying but if it’s your business, you’d surely love to reduce the average cost over the years.
Let’s look at how solar power works for businesses and if it’s likely to pay off in the end.
Solar Power as a Supplier of Alternative Energy
One option for business owners is to make the switch from depending on the power grid to becoming a net supplier of energy to the grid by using commercial solar panels. A suitable solution such as a large scale solar system allows your company to convert sunlight received on the panels to DC current and then have an inverter convert that to AC current which the business can use. Any leftover electricity can be sent to the grid and a credit given for its value based on the total kilowatts supplied.
How Does Getting Solar Panels for Business Work?
It’s always best to partner up with an Australian specialist that understands Aussie business needs, the unique environment Down Under and how to manage it.
A company like Esena Energy can offer an initial consultation to assess whether the business property is suitable for a commercial solar panel installation. From there, once past the initial step, they look at how electricity has been used over time and determine the peak power usage for the company.
The purpose of analysing past energy usage patterns is to clarify what type and how many solar panels will be needed to supply enough electricity to satisfy the business’ needs. Consideration is then given to whether there’s space to set up enough solar panels to create sufficient power to satisfy those requirements.
Does It Make Financial Sense?
Calculations are also made to determine whether it makes financial sense to install solar power. When factoring in the cost of the full installation and ongoing maintenance, most business solar installations pay for themselves within around three years.
The financial benefit is not just the reduction or elimination of energy usage from the electricity grid, but also the savings made when excess energy from solar is supplied to the grid. In other words, other individuals and companies can benefit from using your solar power energy that is not required. This benefit helps recover the upfront investment in solar panels and related equipment relatively quickly.
Diversification of Energy Supplier
For Aussie companies that rely on always having power for every aspect of their business operation, an electrical cut during a work day is no small matter. However, when having access to power via converted DC electricity delivered by their own solar panels, as well as being plugged into the grid, the company lessons its reliance on a single source of available electricity.
When possibly losing thousands of dollars every hour that the power is down, having an already functioning plan B in place is a real lifesaver. The company office can stay functional while neighbours have gone dark.
The cost of installing solar at a business has fallen considerably over the last few years as manufacturing methods have improved the reliability of each panel and their lifespan. As a result, it now makes good financial sense to make the upfront investment because the cost savings are considerable. It’s also friendlier environmentally which will please investors, customers and employees alike. Look into how your business can get solar, and then make the switch to enjoy the financial savings and reduce your dependence on a single source of energy.
