March 29, 2018 As a business owner or property manager, the thought of investing in a commercial solar system might sound interesting. But it can be overwhelming to know where to start, what questions to ask or even who to ask. If you’re in the initial stages trying to find out if going solar is right for your business, here are four questions to ask top solar engineering companies.
Is Solar Right For Your Business? 4 Questions to Ask Top Solar Engineering Companies
1. How much can I expect to save with solar?
Solar power savings used to be measured as a long-term cost savings estimate (what you could save over 20 years or more). But now, recent research has found that solar power energy payback time has decreased to just a few years!
“Energy payback estimates for rooftop PV systems are 4, 3, 2, and 1 years: 4 years for systems using current multicrystalline-silicon PV modules, 3 years for current thin-film modules, 2 years for anticipated multicrystalline modules, and 1 year for anticipated thin-film modules (see Figure 1). With energy paybacks of 1 to 4 years and assumed life expectancies of 30 years, 87% to 97% of the energy that PV systems generate won’t be plagued by pollution, greenhouse gases, and depletion of resources.”
Additionally, top solar engineering companies can run estimates on different solar technologies. Higher-quality solar panels, for example, might require a slightly higher initial investment but may yield larger savings over time than lower-quality solar panels. They will evaluate efficiency, durability, performance levels and useful lifespan to maximize your return on investment.
2. How much do solar panels cost?
Due to many variables, the cost of commercial solar panels requires an in depth discovery of your unique needs, goals, location and system size. Top solar engineering companies will factor in the costs associated with the panels and equipment, installation and maintenance. But, thanks to government incentives and a variety of purchase strategies, those up-front costs can be offset.
And even considering the drastic new tariff on imported solar panels, solar power prices continue to decrease faster than expected due to improvements to solar cell and breakthroughs in solar panel technologies, consumers can expect.
3. Is my building suitable for solar?
Top Solar engineering companies will evaluate your site usable space for solar. That may include roof space for rooftop installations, parking lot for a canopy array or nearby property for a ground mount array. They will also analyze factors such as tree or building shading concerns, the angle of the sun, permitting concerns, grid requirements and more.
4. What size of solar system do I need?
Through an in-depth analysis of your past and current energy usage as well as plans for future growth, top solar engineering companies can determine what size solar system you may need. Commercial systems can range in sizes from 10,000W to 100,000W and more.
KMB Solar Engineering Company
Commercial solar installation is a long term investment. With so much to learn and understand about solar, it’s wise for businesses to do their research first and ask the right questions to get maximum returns on investment, hassle-free installation and high-quality maintenance of the PV system.
As a full-service solar engineering company licensed in the United States and Europe, we take a systematic approach to each PV design project. Our comprehensive photovoltaic engineering solutions include rooftop installations, canopy installations, ground mount install, and multisite programs for a wide variety of industries.
Contact the top solar engineers at KMB Design Group at 888-942-9401 to learn more.