Our Top 5 considerations before installing solar PV at your business

Solar PV can be an a fantastic way of combating rising energy costs, our guide below details the top 5 things we ask when we meet with new clients.

1. How much energy do you currently consume and what equipment/areas are the biggest users?

   
   

   This is absolutely critical to know, data is everything and if you are a commercial business then the chances are you'll already have 1/2 hr metering in place to measure your consumption.

   
   

   You need to get a good idea of consumption over a typical working period, e.g. a work week, two weeks, or whatever time frame best represents how your business operates. Is your usage spread evenly over a 24hr period? Do you use more during office hours? Do you have a peak usage at night?

   
   

   What are your biggest culprits for consumption and how much power do they use? If your biggest piece of plant uses a constant 50kW of current then your installer will soon understand a 10kW inverter isn't going to make much difference.

   
   

   If you don't have the data then it may well be worth setting up some data logging to monitor what is happening and where your energy is going. This is something your installer may be able to offer - we certainly do.

   
   

2. What energy saving measures do you already have in place and what else could be done?

   
   

   We'd always advocate that saving energy is by far the best solution before thinking on generating more. There are a number of really simple steps that can be taken to reduce energy, for example moving to low energy lighting. But there are also some really quite clever solutions that can be implemented including automation to look after aspects of your premises.

   In short, reducing your energy consumption is by far the best place to start.

   
   

3. What backup systems do you currently have in place, what do you require?

   
   

   Unlike domestic premises, power cuts on commercials sites often have a significant cost attached to them through loss of production time or loss of systems. We'd always advise carrying out a risk assessment to understand the impact on your business. Then you will better understand what backup power is needed.

   
   

   You need to be aware that quite often Solar PV systems don't usually work too well with backup generators. They can, but this requires some careful planning and electrical design. Its is something we come across often where the Solar installation company hasn't considered the existing backup generators and the client is unaware of the potential issues.

   
   

4. What level of ongoing support do you need?

   
   

   Contrary to what some may believe, Solar PV isn't a fit and forget system. Panels required regular cleaning. Inverters often require firmware upgrades and systems should be electrically inspected at regular intervals. What is your installer offering? What warranty cover do you have? What remote access/monitoring is needed? What remote monitoring (if any) do they offer?

   
   

5. What is your projected return on investment?

   
   

   A key question and your installer should be able to forecast this based on decent usage figures from you. Like most forecasts, it will only be as good as the data that is used. This is why we like to gather as many data points as possible and also consider a Solar PV install as a part of a whole energy management system, not just a simple isolated solution.