Without a doubt, solar energy has come to stay. Commercial property owners have realized that they can save on utility bills by adopting solar energy. There is now a wide acceptance of solar energy compared to previous times when people had doubts about solar energy usage for commercial properties. As each day passes, real estate businesses and commercial ventures choose to install solar panels at their facilities. In this article, we’ll discuss about commercial solar panels installations.
While the goodness of solar energy cannot be overemphasized, there is also the gritty part that needs to be spoken about. The experience of solar panels installed for a house cannot be the same for panels for commercial purposes. While a lot of excitement builds upon the possibility of saving costs, renewable energy, and the environmental benefits of solar energy, there is also the need to examine the complexity surrounding the installation.
It is important to note that commercial purposes differ. For instance, installing solar panels on a commercial building will take less time than installation on a large field for some activities. This is why you must know the type of solar solution you choose and what kind of installation or construction will be befitting.
We have curated some steps that will guide you in your commercial installation of solar panels. If you follow accordingly, you are guaranteed a successful installation.
Steps For Commercial Solar Panels Installations
1. Planning
As for everything you do in life, you cannot underestimate the power of planning. It just makes everything easier. In planning, you have the luxury of foresight. You know what to do and how to go about it. You also have first-hand knowledge on what not to incorporate in the execution of the plan.
In the commercial installation of solar panels, due planning is needed for a successful construction process. For instance, while construction is going on, there must be a provision for alternative parking spaces and accommodation of temporary power shutdowns.
There are some planning nuggets you shouldn’t forget. These include:
- Physical survey of the site: Before you go ahead to install commercial solar panels, you must do a thorough survey of the proposed site. The structural, geographical, and topological evaluation of the building must all be put into consideration.
- Ascertain if your Solar Panels will Connect to the Power Grid: Never be in haste to confirm that your installation would connect to the power grid in the area you wish to construct solar panels. You do not want the installation to be futile.
- Legal Review: You will need to confirm from legal records if you have a right to install solar panels. While you have the right to construct solar panels in residential areas in some states, the laws may forbid commercial facilities. You need to verify these laws before you proceed to install solar panels.
2. Draw Out Commercial Solar Panel Design
This may look like it should fall under planning. But in the commercial installation of solar panels, the aforementioned planning is an overview of the entire process. There is a need for solar panel design, which will show how the construction would look like. It is this design that would serve as the blueprint for the solar panels to function properly.
3. Construction of Solar Panels
The size of the project is a determining factor in the duration of the commercial installation of solar panels. Some solar panels construction can take as much as four weeks, while some can take three months to complete, especially those with complex designs.
4. Commissioning of Solar Panel System
This can only happen when your solar provider says the solar installation was constructed according to the plan. This also means that the commercial installation says all parameters were met. Commissioning is the certification from the utility agency that the solar panels are good to operate.
5. Maintenance of Commercial Solar Panel Operation
After a commercial installation of solar panels, maintenance is essential. To have long-lasting, reliable, and clean energy, proper maintenance is a must. Guess what? It starts from the first day the solar panels were installed. Your solar provider would indeed produce assistance for the commercial organization, and low maintenance is actually needed; however, there still needs to be someone whose job is to ensure that the panels operate at the optimum level.
Financing Commercial Solar Panels
Some solar providers have made it easy for business owners to purchase solar panels for their businesses with upfront costs. So, these business owners can purchase solar panels by paying part of the money upfront and paying in full later.
For some, they purchase solar panels outrightly. In the case of other people, they get the solar panels on lease. The lessor, in this case, is the biggest winner as the solar tax credits and other financial incentives.
Another way to get a commercial solar panel is by taking loans to purchase. According to an authoritative report, companies use this method, leveraging on the equity of their companies to get a bank loan.
Commercial Installation of Solar Panels May Encounter These Problems
- Some states have legislative restrictions on metering, hence, stunting the increase of solar energy.
- Weather unpredictability also has a role to play. More sun means more energy. Unfortunately, the reverse implies that more panels can be expensive for commercial buildings. But, one positive to take is it means zero carbon in the atmosphere.