By incorporating a commercial solar PV rooftop array businesses can generate their own electricity and significantly reducing their dependence on the grid while lowering energy costs. Solar power enables businesses to harness clean and renewable energy from sunlight, thereby reducing or even eliminating electricity bills. The initial investment required for installing the system can often be recouped within a few years through these cost savings, leading to increased profitability and improved financial stability.

Integrating a battery storage system with the commercial solar PV array offers businesses greater energy independence and enhanced reliability. Excess solar energy generated during the day can be stored in batteries for use during periods of low solar generation or at night. This stored energy ensures a continuous power supply, reducing reliance on the grid and protecting against power outages. By having a reliable and self-sustaining energy source, businesses can maintain critical operations, improving overall productivity and customer satisfaction.

Apart from reduced energy bills and reliance on the grid, one other significant advantage of commercial solar PV rooftop arrays is their positive environmental impact. Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source that produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation. By transitioning to solar power, businesses can contribute to the global effort to combat climate change, reduce air pollution, and conserve natural resources. Embracing sustainable practices and reducing their carbon footprint enhances the company’s environmental reputation, attracting eco-conscious customers and stakeholders who value businesses that prioritise environmental responsibility.

Commercial solar PV rooftop arrays offer businesses scalability and flexibility to adapt to changing energy needs. With available roof space, companies can easily expand their solar capacity by adding more panels. This allows them to generate additional electricity to meet growing demands. The modular nature of solar systems enables businesses to incrementally increase their capacity over time, aligning with their future growth plans and energy requirements. The flexibility provided by commercial solar PV systems ensures long-term suitability and the ability to scale up as needed.

Having decided to look at Solar PV where does a business start?

Before embarking on a solar PV project, businesses must first gain a comprehensive understanding of their electricity usage patterns by measuring consumption throughout the day and night, assessing variations on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, and identifying seasonal fluctuations due to factors such as lighting, heating and air-conditioning.

This is best achieved using a portable power and energy logger like the PEL104 from Chauvin Arnoux, a powerful tool that measures and records key parameters such as voltage, current, power, and energy usage. This data provides valuable insights into the actual energy consumption patterns, identifying peak demand periods and usage trends, as well as inefficiencies and opportunities to optimise the energy consumption.

The energy consumption data collected by the PEL104 also plays a crucial role in specifying the sizing of a commercial solar PV array. It enables businesses to estimate the required capacity of the solar panels to generate sufficient electricity to meet their energy demands. By considering factors such as the available roof space and orientation, solar irradiation levels, and energy usage patterns, the PEL104 data ensures that the solar PV system is appropriately sized for maximum energy generation and cost savings.

Incorporating a battery storage system into a commercial solar PV array further enhances energy independence and reliability. In this scenario, the PEL104 can help determine the required capacity of the battery storage system by logging energy usage data during non-sunlight hours. This data provides insights into the amount of stored energy needed to meet the premises’ energy demands during periods of low solar generation or high consumption.

To conclude, investing in a commercial solar PV rooftop array and battery storage system offers businesses a wide array of benefits. The significant cost savings achieved through reduced electricity bills, enhanced energy independence, and reliability, make solar power an attractive solution.

Moreover, embracing solar energy contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing carbon footprints and supporting the use of clean, renewable energy sources. Businesses not only improve their financial bottom line but also position themselves as leaders in sustainable practices, attracting environmentally conscious customers and stakeholders who value businesses committed to a greener future. What are you waiting for?