Commercial Solar for Business
Investing in Solar
Businesses and Institutions are making hay from the sunshine
Any business investment MUST make you money or make your life easier. Installing rooftop solar does BOTH.
More and more businesses and institutions are discovering just how effectively solar delivers. Big businesses with access to the best and brightest bean counters, analysts and managers are leading the charge. Country Solar NT is commercial solar for business.
Commercial solar means solar for companies like the supermarket chains, department stores, logistics complexes, hardware chains, giant tech companies, manufacturing plants and airports, together with institutions like private schools, universities and colleges plus more and more government agencies.
The people running these undertakings are quietly enjoying the satisfaction of positive impacts on their profitability and often kicking themselves for not joining the renewables revolution sooner.
Solar Works for Small Business too
You do not have to be a big business to benefit from solar energy – modest local enterprises are also enjoying the benefits of rooftop solar.
If you have not already done so then you too should be checking as to what solar can bring to you, your business and your bottom line.
We understand that it can seem difficult for small and regional businesses in a region like the Northern Territory to come to grips with what appear to be complex technologies and the regulatory environment surrounding solar. But our professional team make it easy for you.
Any business investment MUST make you money or make your life easier. Installing rooftop solar does BOTH.
More and more businesses and institutions are discovering just how effectively solar delivers. Big businesses with access to the best and brightest bean counters, analysts and managers are leading the charge.
Companies like the supermarket chains, department stores, logistics complexes, hardware chains, giant tech companies, manufacturing plants and airports, together with institutions like private schools, universities and colleges plus more and more government agencies.
The people running these undertakings are quietly enjoying the satisfaction of positive impacts on their profitability and often kicking themselves for not joining the renewables revolution sooner.
Rooftop solar array for Agus Apartments complex, Darwin
You do not have to be a big business to benefit from rooftop solar – modest local enterprises are also enjoying the benefits of rooftop solar.
If you have not already done so then you too should be checking as to what solar can bring to you, your business and your bottom line.
We understand that it can be difficult for small and regional businesses in a region like the Northern Territory to come to grips with sometimes complex technologies and the regulatory environment surrounding solar.
Commercial Solar – Step by Step
At Country Solar NT, we guide business owners or managers through every step of the process, helping you to understand solar basics and analyze your power needs, and explaining the opportunities available to you.
Our in-house energy consultants will begin with a feasibility study for your business based on a site analysis and close scrutiny of your power needs and past and current usage.
We can interpret your past 12 months of electricity usage data from your meter right down to 15min intervals. This, with a survey of your available roof space, allows us to recommend the right sized solar system for your situation.
An over-sized solar system is over capitalizing and a waste. On the other hand, under-sizing can mean a lost opportunity for very high marginal returns on the electricity your system generates.
Detailed Modelling and Projections
Then we prepare comprehensive financial projection and modelling and a tailored proposal on how the recommended system would impact your business. This covers considerations like –
Capital outlay
Projected electricity cost savings
Rate of return on investment over the system’s lifetime
Your projected payback period
The net present value (NPV) of the recommended system
Potential tax advantages
We will explain and quantify the very considerable Government incentives available to help you offset some of the capital cost of your system. Our proposal will include securing these on your behalf or helping you to do so.
If you are happy with our proposal our accredited in-house system designers and engineers will prepare a detailed custom design. We will then make all necessary applications to Power and Water and the Local Authorities and organise structural engineering certifications on your behalf.
Our experienced teams of Clean Energy Council (CEC) qualified electricians will install and commission your solar system using quality components to maximise the longevity of your system and your return on investment.
Our dedicated project management team will plan and coordinate every detail to ensure a hassle-free installation. We take pride in ensuring quality standards are not only adhered to but exceeded and our track record means you can be confident of a quality installation no matter what size system or level of difficulty.
Section of 86 kW solar car park installation by Country Solar NT for Raffles Plaza in Darwin City
Charles Darwin University NT
257 kW solar PV system
Country Solar NT installed a state-of-the-art solar system for Charles Darwin University at Casuarina. This is the video.
Solar for Coleman's Printing
Country Solar NT system for Coleman’s Printing in Darwin cut power bills by 40% for a saving of $4,000 a month!
Savings and Goodwill for Big and Small Companies leading the charge to GREEN
There is much more to commercial solar than big power bill savings – your business can also achieve a valuable goodwill dividend because customers and the public are increasingly supporting organisations with GREEN credentials.
A survey conducted by the highly respected Lowy Institute released in June 2018 showed that 59% of Australians regard climate change as “a serious and pressing problem” and support mitigation action even if this involves “significant costs”. This level of support was up 5% on a similar survey in 2017.
A whopping 84% supported the proposition that “the Government should focus on renewables even if this means we may need to invest more in infrastructure to make the system more reliable.” This was up 3% on 2017.
Businesses ignoring these kinds of trends are missing an opportunity. They are giving a free kick in the public relations battle to competitors who embrace going green, joining the renewables revolution, switching to solar and telling the world all about it.
Switching is really a WIN- WIN-WIN strategy. Going solar saves your business money, enhances your public reputation and standing, and makes some modest contribution towards mitigating environmental depredation, one of our most worrying challenges.
You, your staff, your customers and clients, and the public will all have every right to feel good about it.
There is little doubt that along with solar savings, the public relations dividend has played a profound part in influencing the swing to renewables by major corporates around Australia and the world over the past decade.
The world of the big corporates is seeing a race to become the “greenest company” on the block to appeal to more customers and clients.
These companies are realising that going solar doesn’t just SAVE money – it can also MAKE them money!
Commercial Solar Internationally
It’s not Australia leading the charge
If you are in business and have not yet looked at switching to solar then you are missing out on lucrative cost-savings.
Read our blog post:
Joining the renewables revolution.
Section of massive 1.2 MW solar array on Gateway Shopping Centre, Palmerston
Solar Incentives for NT Enterprises
Generous Government incentives are available for NT businesses and enterprises who choose to join the renewables revolution. Sources of assistance for enterprises going solar include:
Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs)
This program can cut the capital cost of rooftop solar for small to medium businesses by tens of thousands of dollars. The scheme applies for installations of less than 100kW capacity and is administered by the Federal Clean Energy Regulator. It can shave 25% to 30% off the real cost of your system. Country Solar NT can explain how it works and handle all the paperwork on your behalf. This program is sometimes referred to as the “Solar Rebate”.
Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs)
This program is for enterprises installing systems bigger than 100kW capacity like factories, shopping centres, large institutions or giant solar farms. It also is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator and can bring big savings on up-front costs. Our Country Solar NT experts can explain how this program works and handle the administrative documentation needed to allow you to lock in this benefit.
NT Smarter Business Solutions Grants Program
Territory businesses, Indigenous enterprises and not-for-profit organisations can access funding for solar system installations. Under this NT Government program you can receive a grant of up to 20% of the cost of an off-grid system up to a limit of $20,000. For a grid-connected system you can receive 10% of the cost up to a maximum of $10,000. These benefits are in addition to Federal incentives.
Commercial Solar Tax Breaks
Enterprises going solar also are entitled to tax benefits, mainly in the form of depreciation write-offs against the capital cost of your system.
Learn more about solar incentive schemes and tax savings and rebates for enterprises and institutions.
Real Time Monitoring can Save
The savings from a rooftop solar PV array can be even greater when your system is combined with a state-of-the-art energy monitoring system.
All Country Solar NT systems come with an on-line solution which allows real time remote monitoring and reporting.
Rising energy costs, particularly electricity, have brought focus to the concepts of energy management. Business and industry case studies have demonstrated that even modest measures can cut energy consumption and costs by 10% to 15% and the savings can be much greater with a medium scale energy management program.
Today’s Smart technologies and software gather consumption data, analyse it and provide useful information directly to your digital device. You or your staff can see how much energy you are using at any time of the day, how it is used and how your solar array is performing – this information is essential for developing an energy management plan.
An intelligent monitoring system also can alert you to any faults in real time and indicate what measures may solve the problem.
Your real time energy data can be viewed online via your PC, Mac or Tablet and can be displayed on an LCD screen in common areas for staff and on your website or a reception area screen to flag your enterprise’s environmental credentials.
When you invest in a Commercial Solar Power system you want to make sure it is operating efficiently and performing in line with expectations. Our on-line monitoring solution with real time remote monitoring and reporting allows you to do so.
It also means that should a problem arise we can readily access and analyse your data from our workshop and come up with a solution.
Country Solar NT’s Energy Monitoring Solutions are available to both Commercial Solar, Business and even non-Solar clients. Contact us for a demonstration of how an Energy Monitoring Solution can help you save money and add value to your business.
Country Solar NT Businesses and Institutions already saving with solar . . .
