For many businesses nationwide, generating the bulk of their energy needs from solar power pays off. Installing on-site allows businesses to serve as better stewards of the environment, save considerable sums of money, hedge against utility rate hikes, and tell customers their story about reducing corporate impacts on the planet.
Solar power production is a complex process in which the sun’s rays are captured and converted into clean electricity, which is then distributed as needed. At its core is the solar panel, a highly engineered module of silicon, metal and glass. The installation of these panels, while complex and requiring careful planning, results in clean energy for commercial use. For nearly twenty years, Alder Energy has been designing, installing, integrating, and maintaining commercial solar arrays. Alder Energy can help your company make a switch to cleaner power and more savings.
What is required to install solar panels?
The first step in the solar panel installation process is the planning phase.
The installation process begins with an initial consultation and preliminary proposal, followed by a site evaluation to determine the viability and logistics of constructing a solar energy system. The Alder Energy team gathers information on the property and its energy needs prior to designing a customized solar solution that fits each business’ goals. Solar panels are often placed on roofs but can be found on parking lot canopies, in fields, or even on floating rafts in large bodies of water, such as reservoirs or retention ponds (this is known as floatovoltaics).
Once the system is designed and reviewed by structural and electrical engineers, the next step is to obtain the necessary permits from the utility and local authorities, such as the city or county. Depending on the project’s complexity and the utility’s ability to process interconnection applications, this can take a couple of weeks or many months. An experienced solar company, such as Alder Energy, handles all this design-build activity, from submitting plans to coordinating revisions in order to obtain approvals.
The solar panel installation process
Once proper permits, plans and documentation are in order, the solar panel installer procures equipment. The mounting and racking system used depends on the slope of the roof. Many commercial buildings have flat roofs, allowing for ballast-weight mounting systems that secure the panels without many attachments. Those attachments that are required for structural and wind-loading reasons may be heat adhered, in order to bond with a typical TPO membrane, for instance. Slip sheets are also commonly installed as a best practice to protect against abrasions from a ballasted racking system, which could have micro movements on the roof over time.
Solar panels on sloped roofs, whether they are shingled or standing seam metal roofs, utilize either penetrating or clamping attachments with panels mounted onto a rail system, which adds stability and structure to the array.
Commercial solar panels are physically larger with more capacity than residential panels because commercial building rooftops tend to be larger and less quirky than residential spaces, which are often constrained by hips and valleys. Commercial solar panels usually contain 96 cells, while the average residential solar panel has 60 or 72 cells. These oversized panels ensure that there is plenty of green energy to go around.
The solar panels, also known as solar modules, produce direct current (dc) power that flows into an inverter, which converts the dc to alternating current (ac) power, which is compatible with buildings and our electric grid.
Solar panel installation final steps
Once the system is in place, it must be inspected by the local authorities to ensure safety and proper operation. This can take up to several weeks.
Once approved, then the local utility will inspect the system, grant Permission to Operate (PTO), connect a bi-directional meter, which measures how much electricity the system contributes to the grid and how much the building draws from the grid at night or during inclement weather.
Finally, the system is ready for activation. Typically, the solar company will offer training on how to use the system correctly, optimize its efficiency, and perform ordinary troubleshooting and monitoring. They are also available to contact in the event that a panel is damaged or something else goes wrong.
Solar panel installation cost
The cost of installing solar panels varies widely depending on several variables, including size, complexity, location, tax credits, etc. Most commercial systems cost between $1.80 and $3.00 per watt before factoring in tax credits and other incentives. Generally, the larger the system, the lower the price per watt, providing a better bang for the buck, since fixed costs, such as engineering and permitting, are a smaller slice of the project’s price pie.
While solar panels may seem like a steep investment up front, the savings generated from clean power will offset installation costs in between 4-7 years.
Alder Energy is committed to educating business owners about commercial solar energy and how it can help companies save money and reduce their carbon footprint. By explaining the process of installing solar panels, company owners can make informed decisions about choosing solar energy and feel confident that the process will be treated with care from start to finish by Alder Energy’s team of experts.
Ready to make the switch to solar energy? Contact the Alder Energy team today to get more information or set up a consultation.
