Community Solar For Businesses — How To Make a Difference in Any Industry
A new concept of community solar, called commercial solar, is that which allows businesses to go solar while also making a profit in the long run. Because community solar requires a large amount of sunny open space in order to allow for solar projects to flourish, incorporating large rooftops into this picture can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to community solar availability in more urban areas, where the necessity for community solar is much more crucial.
The Idea of “Commercial Solar”
When it comes to providing businesses with the opportunity to both go solar and provide solar opportunities at the same time, there are many factors that are unique to each individual business, and fluctuate often.
So, how exactly does this concept work? Say a local warehouse with a large, flat roof were to have a large array of solar panels installed on its roof. This would obviously not be cheap up front, but the idea is that it would act as a long term investment for that company, in two regards:
- The business would become self-sufficient
- Through the process of community solar, the excess energy produced from this project can be sold for a profit
Now these points vary in their outcome for every business, but overall they present quite promising returns if done correctly.
How Risky Can This Be?
The main factor, and obstacle, in this endeavor is cost. Installing a large amount of solar panels is not cheap, even in spite of the promising future returns that can be acquired from getting involved in commercial solar.
There are also structural concerns, considering the fact that most buildings used by companies are not built with the incorporation of large arrays of solar panels in mind. Of course there can be modifications made to allow for solar panels to be installed, but naturally, these modifications are not cheap either.
It all depends on the business at the end of the day. Not every business has the money or motive to make such a huge investment, and it is no secret that saving money is a key factor in any industry.
What Can Be Gained From This?
Assuming the business is able to make this investment, they can start saving a tremendous amount of money on their energy bill, eventually breaking even from the initial installation and setup expenses.
The concept of incorporating community solar into this process acts as a catalyst that speeds up the potential profits to be made from going solar, simply from selling any excess energy produced.
To avoid any structural issues, businesses can also consider the concept of solar canopies, rather than using rooftop solar arrays. Of course, not every business has a large parking lot, but typically the types of businesses with the ability to get involved with commercial solar have more employees, and usually larger parking lots to accommodate for this factor.
There are already companies, such as Genie Solar Energy, which have been getting involved in the commercial solar energy, and through customized solar array installation and a positive net return of investment, they have already shown some of the potential in this field. According to their average customer experience, businesses can break even in as little as 3 years, with up to $1 Million in profit by investing in commercial solar opportunities.
Indeed, there are still many smaller factors to consider, but in a general perspective, commercial solar can, and has been proven to allow both businesses and consumers to flourish economically, while also helping the environment. Personally, I see this playing a huge role in our future if it takes off.
References:
[2] https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/NY-Sun/Solar-for-Your-Business/Community-Solar
[3] https://cleantechnica.com/2020/08/03/community-solar-power-whats-happening-whats-new/
