Large Electricity Users Can’t Afford Rising Utility Costs
How We Help Clients Solve the Threat of Inflation with Commercial Solar
I’m pissed when I open my electric bill every month because I know my consumption habits haven’t changed, but I’m paying almost triple compared to a few short years ago.
The real problem is- this isn’t scalable for those already using lots of electricity. Most businesses can’t just start paying almost triple when electricity is their main overhead cost without completely shaving their margins.
My name is Dakota Malone & I co-founded Community Solar Authority. Over the last six years we’ve been helping commercial properties practice sustainability using commercial solar incentives.
Finding ways to hedge against electricity inflation, enhance sustainability, and improve operating profit is a worthwhile pursuit for our clients; and we help them execute meaningful sustainability projects to do it.
The Looming Threat: Inflation
A SWOT analysis would reveal that inflation in operating costs is a threat to organizations using a lot of electricity- but what do you do about it?
Ultimately, you either deal with threats or ignore them. You can go on the offense and solve constraints that prevent your business from growing, or you can ignore them and hope they go away.
The problem is that inflation is here to stay, but we founded our company based on a thesis: the more sustainable you are, the more likely you remain in business.
Solving threats with sustainability practices can be a huge competitive advantage for organizations looking to remain in business.
We’ve used value-added strategies in the commercial solar space both to improve operating profit and also increase revenue to hedge inflation.
Here are some ways we’ve tackled inflation for our clients:
A. Solar Leasing for Revenue Generation
Some clients have available space on their land or roof that we have leased out for solar assets.
Our solar developers become their favorite tenants and saving grace by paying passive income to lease out space that otherwise sat vacant, and didn’t produce any income.
Now, clients are taking advantage of the clean energy economy, on a $0 investment, and are directly using it to generate additional dollars that offset rising costs for decades to come.
B. On-Site Solar for Lower Electricity Costs
Some clients have opted to rent or own solar systems that directly feed into their electricity bill- slashing their costs & potentially earning them tax breaks.
Those that go with a power purchase agreement (PPA,) are benefitting from a $0 investment and zero maintenance to buy electricity at a lower cost for years to come.
This can bring electricity costs down below pre-covid rates that completely change the landscape of their businesses.
C. Off-Site Solar Options Like Community Solar
Some clients have no available space or interest in installing solar on-site, but that doesn’t mean they can’t take advantage of available incentives.
For our clients in NY & IL for example, we perform community solar rollouts that allow them to claim available incentives just by participating in helping clean the greater energy grid.
Our average client can access the program in ~90 days, and saves over $25,000+/yr on a $0 investment- without installing solar on-site.
These sustainability strategies are all in our playbook, and each of them solves unique situations for our clients looking to solve the threat of inflation.
Conclusion
I know organizations are out there having the same reaction to their electricity costs as I do every single month.
They’re wondering if the bill will ever go down, if they’ll be able to keep the lights on, and if they’ll be able to maintain profitability long enough until the threat goes away.
Unfortunately, rising electricity costs are a matter of historical fact, and thankfully there are solutions to deal with it. Our company specializes in sustainability strategies to help large users think through solutions with commercial solar.
Are you an organization looking to enhance sustainability, improve operating profit, and otherwise solve for hedging against inflation?
You can get started by visiting our website and booking a call today.
communitysolarauthority.com
