How to Go Solar in 3 Simple Steps
Solar Energy for your business is a great way to save money and reach sustainability goals, among other benefits. It is more popular than ever and we want clients to understand what those benefits can do for your bottom line.
Here is what we do at DGEN Energy Partners to help you Find Energy Solutions for your business.
- Understand your Site
- Understand your Utility Bills
- Understand your Financial Goals
1) Understand your Solar Site
First, you need to decide where to put solar for your business. We help companies finance and build solar projects on rooftops , parking lots , and vacant land. All three are great options for solar.
Rooftops are a great option for solar because rooftops do not traditionally generate revenue. Rooftop solar makes rooftops productive square footage. This will increase the building value of your property. We ensure every rooftop project will enhance a property and protect your building first and foremost. Need a new roof? No problem, ask us how you can get free solar with a new roof.
Parking Lots are another great option for solar. Solar canopies (carports) can protect visitor vehicles from heat and inclement weather AND generate energy. If your property does not have much available roof area this can be a great alternative. Healthcare facilities, universities, and automotive dealerships are excellent candidates for parking lot solar.
Vacant Land can be a great option for solar as well. Solar farms are often the most inexpensive form of solar if it is adjacent to where you consume energy. The key is knowing where we will interconnect into your electrical system. If your utility does not allow it or we need to cross roads, power lines, or train tracks, it is probably best to stick to the rooftop or parking lot of the facility.
So the first question you want to answer is, “Where can we put solar on my property?”
2) Understand your Utility Bills
Next we need to review your utility bills. This helps us understand how much you pay for electricity. Your utility company, your rate schedule, and the amount of energy you consume are all things we need to understand. We are here to help. 12 months of utility bills will help us understand when you use energy and what you pay. This helps us model what solar will do for your business over the course of a year.
No utility bills? We can work with your account rep at the utility to get those bills or your interval data. Interval data is very granular energy info. This comes in 15 minute, 30 minute, or 60 minute intervals for the past year and is the best way to understand how solar will impact your utility savings to the penny. Next we review your utility company’s interconnection policies. This helps us understand everything about what it will take to work with your utility.
The second question you want to answer is, “Where are my utility bills?”
3) Understand your Financial Goals
The last three things we need to know is: What are your goals for solar? What is your tax situation? What are your capex requirements? Tax incentives are the main solar energy incentives in the US with nearly 50%+ of your incentives coming in the form of tax benefits, these include the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and the Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS) . So we will need your federal tax rates for your company.
We also offer financing to help you cover the costs solar. One of our favorites is a no-money down path to ownership. We typically start the analysis assuming a cash purchase so you can see an unlevered return on investment first however it will be critical for us to understand your capital expense requirements and your tax status to make sure we are showing you an achievable return on investment and not a rosy, best case scenario.
The final question you will want to answer is, “What is my tax status and how do I plan to finance this project?”
Ready to start?
Now you understand a little bit about your site, your utility bills, and financial requirements. Contact us so we can get started on your free, no obligation energy analysis to help you find energy solutions for your business.