Commercial Solar Energy
With the cost of solar panels declining, many of the world’s biggest companies are switching to solar energy not just for its fantastic environmental record, but for its incredible cost savings.
Recent converts to solar energy include leading companies such as Google, IKEA, Apple and Sainsbury’s. Solar photovoltaic panels are also an increasingly popular choice for small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK and abroad.
Is your business interested in reducing its energy spending and lowering its carbon emissions? Solar energy is an eco-friendly, affordable alternative to non-renewable sources of energy such as coal and natural gas.
From retail to manufacturing, agriculture and education, a large range of companies and organisations in many different industries are installing solar panels to reduce their energy costs and improve their environmental impact.
Can your business benefit from solar energy? Read on to learn more about the key benefits of solar photovoltaic panels, the cost of solar energy and the solar options that are available for your business.
Is solar energy right for your business?
Is your business using its roof space as effectively as it could? If your building has a large roof that receives daytime sunlight, it may be able to produce solar energy and reduce its dependence on an external energy supplier.
Installing solar panels on your commercial building’s roof allows you to turn what’s currently an empty space into a valuable, profitable commercial asset.
Over the long term, solar panels can lower the amount that your business spends on electricity, reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and produce a considerable return on investment for your business.
Is solar energy right for your commercial property? Solar panels can be placed on a north/south or east/west facing roof and can be installed on many different roofing materials.
Our experienced team can assess your property to determine the best type of solar photovoltaic panels to install, the most effective arrangement of photovoltaic panels and the total solar energy needs of your building.
What are the top commercial benefits of solar energy?
Until recently, many businesses viewed solar panels as an environmentally friendly but unaffordable source of electricity.
Recent decreases in the cost of solar photovoltaic cells mean that while solar power is still highly environmentally friendly, it’s no longer an expensive option. Today, it’s actually less expensive to use solar power than conventional sources of energy.
From reducing the amount your business spends on energy to lowering your carbon emissions, there are numerous benefits to solar panels. Some of the most significant benefits for your business include:
Spend significantly less on energy
By installing solar photovoltaic panels and switching to solar energy, your business can significantly reduce the amount it spends on energy.
A large solar panel installation may allow your business to completely eliminate its daytime energy costs. Even buildings that require a large amount of energy can cut as much as 60% from their daytime energy usage by switching to solar power.
The savings produced by switching to solar energy are immediate, allowing your business to reduce its ongoing energy costs from the moment its solar panels are installed and operational.
With solar cell prices lower than ever before, your business can achieve a fantastic return on investment by installing solar panels and reducing your dependence on conventional, non-renewable sources of energy.
Better yet, your business can benefit from the Feed-in Tariff scheme, in which the energy supplier will pay a tariff for all renewable energy your business generates from renewable systems such as solar panels.
Reduce your carbon emissions
How big is your business’s carbon footprint? More than 75% of the UK’s energy is produced using fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, meaning your business is contributing to climate change through its use of the national grid.
Since solar photovoltaic panels produce no carbon dioxide emissions, switching to solar energy is a fantastic way to reduce your business’s emissions and improve its environmental record.
The average amount of carbon dioxide produced by a solar panel per kilowatt hour is 72 grams, all of which is produced during the manufacturing process. This means that your business will not produce any carbon emissions while it uses solar energy.
In contrast, fossil fuels such as coal produce an average 938 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour, while comparatively clean natural gas still produces a significant 548 grams per kilowatt hour of electricity.
Switching to solar energy doesn’t just save your business money – it also reduces its carbon emissions and environmental impact by a serious amount, helping the world and improving your business’s environmental record.
Increase your property’s value
Solar photovoltaic panels aren’t just a source of electricity for your business – they are also valuable assets that can increase the value of your property and result in a higher price at sale.
A 2014 report from real estate company JLL shows that solar photovoltaic panels add value to commercial property and improve marketability, making solar power an additional selling point for your business’s property.
Since solar energy is also a cost-effective way to power your building, installing PV panels is an excellent, low-cost way to improve the value of your property, creating an extra source of value for your business.
Is it expensive to install solar photovoltaic panels?
As the cost of solar cells decreases, solar power is becoming more affordable than ever before. The Feed-in Tariff scheme, which covers both generation and export tariffs, makes commercial solar power even more affordable.
The total price of installing solar panels in your commercial building depends on your building’s energy needs, the total amount of space available for solar panels and the size of your solar power installation.
Small solar energy systems suitable for retail stores and small businesses can be purchased and installed from just £5,000. Larger solar photovoltaic panel systems can range in cost depending on your business’s electrical needs.
On average, it takes most businesses between five and 10 years to pay for a solar photovoltaic panel system. Since solar panels typically last for 25 years or longer, this short payback period can result in 15 or more years of free solar energy.
From free energy to a measurable increase in your property’s value, the benefits of solar power for businesses significant outweigh the modest costs of purchasing and installing solar panels.
Are solar panels suitable for your commercial property?
Solar panels are a viable power generation system for many businesses, even those with limited roof space. However, your business will experience the largest number of benefits from solar power if its property meets the following requirements:
- A large roof or open space (for example, vacant land) that receives sunlight throughout the day.
- Few or no trees, hills, nearby buildings or other obstacles that block sunlight during the day.
- If located inside a conservation area, roof space that faces away from roads and highways.
Factors such as rainfall or frequent overcast weather are unlikely to prevent a solar energy system from operating efficiently. Even the UK’s least sunny cities, solar PV panels typically pay for themselves within nine to 12 years of operation.
Your building’s roof will need to be able to tolerate the additional load that solar PV panels will create. Older buildings may require strengthening to handle the weight of a large solar photovoltaic panel installation.
Would you like to switch to solar energy?
Switching from a non-renewable source of energy to solar has numerous benefits for your business, from reducing the amount you spend on energy to cutting your carbon emissions by a significant amount.
Are you interested in solar power? The low prices of solar photovoltaic panels and government incentives, such as the Feed-in Tariff scheme, make now a great time to switch from non-renewable energy to solar.
Whether your business has a large roof that could generate electricity passively or fields and other open space, it’s surprisingly simple to turn open space around your property into a self-contained solar power system.
We offer high quality solar panels and solar water heating equipment for all types of commercial property. Our team of solar energy experts and installers can help you learn more about the most suitable solar energy system for your property.
Would you like to lower your business’s energy bills and increase the value of your commercial property? Contact us to learn more about the solar energy solutions available for your property and the benefits of switching to solar power.
