Reducing outgoings, increasing green credentials and hedging against future energy price hikes are all among the top priorities for most businesses. And switching to solar energy can help with all three of those concerns.
SoGlos reveals seven of the top reasons why you should consider investing in solar panels for your business.
A smaller carbon footprint
With the government's aim for the UK to be net zero by 2030, reducing CO2 emissions has never been more pressing — and achieving a lower carbon footprint is at the forefront of many businesses' agendas. One of the quickest and easiest things a business can do is upgrade to renewable energy. Installing solar PV panels on the roof of a building or at ground level will help a business gain independence over its electricity bills, energy usage and perhaps more importantly, improve its green credentials by creating free and renewable energy.
Significant electricity bill reductions
The potential savings for companies on their monthly electricity bills are huge. Solar panels are an investment, but it's an outlay that businesses could see returned in just three years. What you invest in the installation of a solar-powered system will save on your electricity bills in a very short space of time, with the potential for thousands of pounds of savings each year.
Low maintenance
The cost of maintaining your panels is very low after installation — businesses only need to clean panels once or twice a year, at the most. And since there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear involved, meaning very little spend on maintenance and repair work, with most reputable suppliers offering a 25-year warranty on panels, too.
Take control of energy usage
Solar panels, together with battery storage and state-of-the-art monitoring systems, allow a business to go from having no idea how, when or where it's consuming energy, to being able to precisely track each kilowatt of power in real time. This, coupled with using energy that your own solar system has generated, also allows for a much greater independence from sky high bills and the National Grid.
Reliability and backup
Solar PV generates power all year round, peaking on clear, sunny days from April to September, but still creating energy on cloudy days each month of the year. There is plenty of data to analyse on average generation levels, so you can accurately forecast returns from panels and predicted savings. And monitoring systems that come with battery storage systems also help track these, too. National Grid power outages will also be less significant on a business that generates and stores its own power with a battery storage system, meaning less downtime for the company during power cuts.
Quick to install with no planning permission
It can take just a few months to install a large rooftop solar setup, from the initial planning stage through to completion, with smaller projects much quicker. Many commercial solar systems meet the conditions for permitted development, meaning less time spent waiting on planning permission to be granted. Businesses should check with their installer or the planning office as to whether they need planning consent or not, as the size of the system, listed buildings, and conservation areas can all attract restrictions.
Extra savings from battery storage
Making an extra investment into a battery storage system to go alongside solar PV panels will be game-changing in terms of maximising savings and controlling energy usage. You will also be able to sell back any surplus energy your panels generate to the National Grid, making extra money for the business each year.
