Commercial Solar Panels, PV Solar Panels for Businesses

Solar power is the UK's number one choice as an alternative energy source to power commercial buildings and businesses. The term solar power refers to different methods of using energy from the sun and converting that energy either to an electrical current or using it to produce heat.

Why Solar Panels for Commercial Businesses?

Commercial businesses tend to spend a lot of money per year on electricity, be this to run equipment, heat the buildings etc. Solar Panels are an investment that over time produce a return for the business but also cut costs immediately on electricity. It is estimated that over the next few years that energy prices from carbon-based sources will increase by approximately 40%. This increase will have a detrimental effect on many businesses, which is why many are turning to green, environmentally friendly, renewable forms of energy supply.

The government has backed a selection of schemes to encourage businesses to move towards alternative energy sources such as solar panels. The most common scheme being the feed-in tariff scheme (FITs). This scheme means the business is paid for the energy they produce, plus they are awarded a bonus payment for any electricity sent to the national grid to be used by energy suppliers.

An important factor that sets commercial solar panels apart from solar panels installed in homes is that businesses tend to use most of their electricity throughout the day. This means they are able to benefit largely from savings on their electricity bills by using the energy they produce.

Solar Panels can add value to your commercial premises and also portray a great message that your company is 'environmentally friendly'. Solar panels require very little maintenance, as they contain no moving parts, so are a great option for businesses.

There are two main types of solar panels, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and thermal solar panels.

PV Solar Panels for Businesses

PV Solar panels are the most popular choice of alternative energy for businesses in the UK. The solar cells within the panel absorb the daylight and use an inverter to convert this into an electrical current that can be used in the commercial property. There are many different types of PV Solar Systems that range in efficiency and cost, as expected the most expensive systems tend to be the most efficient.

PV Solar Panels require either roof space or ground space that is un-shaded and faces within 90 degrees of south. The more daylight exposure the panels receive the better return the business will see on their solar panels. Agricultural businesses are seeing a huge up-take in PV Solar Systems, as they tend to have large amounts of open space available for the installations. PV Solar Systems for businesses will tend to require planning permission as in many cases they are much larger than private installations at home.

Thermal Solar Panels for Businesses

Thermal Solar Panels use energy from the sun to heat water, which then is either used for hot water or to provide heating to a building. Thermal solar panels tend to be installed on the roof of commercial buildings and they collect heat from sunlight. The heat is stored in the 'collector' and used to heat the transfer liquid. This transfer liquid is passed through the system to heat the water in the tank. Thermal Solar Systems offer a very economical way of heating large amounts of water so are well suited to commercial businesses.

Thermal solar panels are cheaper than PV solar panels, but the return possible is not so great. Like with PV panels there is a government backed scheme that means not only do businesses benefit from the savings of not paying an energy supplier to heat water but they are also able to receive payment for the hot water and heat they generate. The scheme has set criteria to meet, businesses can be paid up to 8.5p/kWhr of energy they generate. This scheme is guaranteed for 20 years, which means for most businesses they can plan the solar panel investment knowing within so many years they will see a return. Maintenance costs are low on thermal solar systems, with inspections due every few years.

Free Solar Panels for Businesses

There are many companies out there offering 'free solar panels' to the business sector. These schemes can be a good idea if the funding is not available to invest in installing solar panels. The way 'free solar panels' work is that a company will pay for the installation, the business that owns the property will usually be able to use the electricity generated, but any additional energy will be exported to the grid. It is this part of the process that allows the supplier to see a return on their investment as they receive payment via the feed-in tariff for this energy.

Examples of Commercial Installations

Many commercial businesses are investing in solar panels for a number of reasons; the key motives tend to be the ability to make a profit and being able to reduce their carbon footprint. Below are some articles about industries where solar power is really taking off!