Why Choose Solar?
The term solar power is used to mean energy that is produced by converting the energy contained in the sun's rays into usable electricity. With carbon based energy prices set to rise by about 40% over the next few years, attention is increasingly being turned to greener, more environmentally sustainable forms of energy production, with solar energy being one of the most popular. This is partly due to Government backed financial schemes like the Renewable Heat Incentive and the Feed-in Tariff, where producers of solar energy are paid for the electricity they produce, even if they use it or not. In the light of this it is not surprising that businesses and large organisations are becoming more and more attracted to the idea of switching to solar energy. Businesses can benefit from solar power more than most, because the vast majority of businesses use the bulk of their electricity during daylight hours, which is of course when solar panels produce their energy.
The Benefits of Solar Power
The long term potential benefits of solar power to a business are huge. The cost of installing solar panels is falling all the time and now has never been a better time to invest in them. The potential savings on electricity bills for a large organisation can be huge. There are particular advantages to solar power for businesses. For example most businesses like a large office complex, will need a lot of hot water for things like the staff canteen. Solar thermal systems, that heat hot water, offer a very economical way of heating large quantities of hot water. Solar panels can also be quite an aesthetically pleasing addition to a large building, and make it obvious to the outside world that your company is an 'environmentally friendly' company, which is good for a businesses public image. Solar panels also require very little maintenance as they have no moving parts. A well-designed solar system will also add considerable value to your businesses premises.
Possible Disadvantages of Solar Power
Businesses will obviously require larger systems and more panels and this can sometimes pose technical problems with regard to installation. The ideal situation is to have a building that was purpose built for solar panels and not many existing buildings have been built that way. This can add considerable costs to the installation. The government has also recently announced plans to scale back the range of the feed-in tariff, meaning that solar installations of more than 50KW will not receive as much money for the electricity they produce as before.
Commercial Solar Power providers
There are many solar power providers in the UK. These are companies who will liaise with your business or organisation and will design a solar panel system based on your company or organisation's specific requirements. They will help you through the planning stage of setting up the system and will also help you with things like obtaining planning permission from the local authority.
Financial and Environmental Benefits of Solar for Business
In April 2010, the Government set up the Feed-in Tariff scheme, where the user, be it a big business or private individual, can earn money for every unit of electricity that they produce. They can even earn extra by selling any surplus electricity that they produce but do not use, back to the national grid. As mentioned earlier, using solar panels can also help to boost the image of a company or business, as they are seen to be doing their bit for the environment. This can improve a company's image and can make them more attractive to potential customers. Also, solar energy is completely 'clean', meaning that it does not produce any harmful emissions like carbon dioxide, and it is 100% renewable in the sense that it draws it's energy from the sun, which is an inexhaustible source of energy. The benefits of solar to the business and commercial world, both financial and environmental, mean that it is increasingly becoming an investment worth making for the future.
