Why businesses profit the most
As many businesses use the majority of their energy during the day, the energy produced by a commercial solar panel system can be used immediately to reduce the energy needed from the grid. Excess energy (especially on weekends when the business uses less energy) can be stored in a battery or fed into the grid for a feed in tariff – creating passive income for the business.
Additionally, businesses using renewable energy can improve their green image and apply for sustainability certificates such as ISO 14001.
Converting sunshine to electricity
In just 1 hour, the earth gets more energy from the sun than our society consumes in a year. Make the sun your new energy supplier. The photovoltaic effect makes it possible to generate electricity from sunlight. Each photovoltaic solar panel consists of many cells, these cells are made of silicon, a semi-conducting material. These silicon cells absorb sunlight and electrons are set in motion creating an electric current. This direct current (DC) is captured by fine metal wires on the cell’s surface called finger and then leaves the cell via thicker metal wires called busbars. Later this DC is converted into alternating current (AC) in a solar inverter.
Storing solar energy to maximise self consumption
A solar panel installation produces electricity as long as the sun is shining. The energy consumption for businesses often peaks at midday which matches peak energy production of the PV system – a great match. Therefore batteries may not be needed. However they can be used to maximise self-consumption of the energy if there are times when the business is not running during the day or on weekends. The alternative to using solar batteries would be to feed excess energy into the grid – creating positive cashflow. Our local PV installation partner will be able to help you determine which option makes most sense for your business!
