Making the decision to engage in the solar industry isn&#;t something that can be done in just a day&#; and more importantly, it shouldn&#;t be done without a thorough evaluation coupled with a careful assessment of both the pros and cons of using solar panels.
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The concept of &#;solar panels for businesses&#; might actually seem like a complex and confusing industry to be in. However, with today&#;s trend of solar panels becoming popular in commercial businesses, more people are jumping the gun to either becoming solar professionals or engaging in the solar panel market. If you&#;re a solar professional, your customers and clients who are business owners will most likely be asking first why they should invest in solar panels. Of course, it will be your responsibility to inform them of the pros and cons of solar panels for commercial buildings.
To help get you started, this blog compiles all of these pros and cons in pursuing a path toward investing in a commercial solar energy system. These will help you in giving your clients the information that they need to help them in arriving at a decision.
The Pros: How Solar Panels Benefit Commercial Businesses
1. Solar panels help in saving money
For some commercial owners who have read somewhere that switching to solar energy can be quite expensive, they can be easily put-off from becoming your clients. That&#;s why it is important that you inform them of the advantages of installing solar panels in their commercial buildings and one of these advantages is that while the initial set-up is actually higher than average, solar panel users can expect a return on their investments by incurring low electricity costs and maintenance fees.
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2. Commercial solar panels are ideal for businesses of all sizes.
There is that old way of thinking that commercial solar panels are only great for small to medium-sized businesses. However, with today&#;s improving technology, solar panels aren&#;t just for Intel and Wal-Mart anymore. Businesses of all sizes are now capitalizing on the installation of solar panels. By being able to prove to your clients that a solar energy system is a key strategic solution in helping their businesses, you will be able to virtually guarantee a solid financial return for your company.
3. Solar power is renewable energy.
It is a scientific fact that solar energy gets its sources from the sun&#; a staple in the entire universe since the beginning of time. Since solar power will continue to shine for another 6.5 billion years according to scientists, solar power is more preferable than using fossil fuels that will eventually diminish over time.
4. With solar power, businesses will be able to acquire a great return of investment.
Business owners who think about switching their commercial buildings to solar power should know that the same is an investment and not an expense. Not many people may know this but the return on investment from solar power often exceeds that of most other investments in terms of the savings that a business earns over the years.
5. Solar panels in commercial buildings help in improving their brand with a greener image.
While commercial solar panels help in obtaining energy efficiency, one of the great things that they also offer include marketing a company&#;s commitment to clean energy. Aside from endorsing solar panels to your company&#;s clients, your own company should also be able to send a positive message about your commitment to sustainability and love for the environment. You will be making a great impression every time your employees, customers, neighbors, and even guests know that you&#;re also into green movement. Convince your clients that going solar does not only help protect the environment but also affects how the community views their company.
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6. Contracting with a solar panel installation company helps the local economy.
When commercial business owners contract with a solar power installation company, they are boosting the local economy. Moreover, it is the workers in the local market who complete the installation. When there is an increased demand for solar panel installations, the availability of high-quality, well-paying jobs also increase&#; and those workers are likely to become your present and future clients.
7. Solar panels are highly reliable while still requiring low maintenance.
Business owners don&#;t have to worry about the installation of commercial solar panels since they are maintenance-free and noiseless. As a solar panel professional, it is your job to assure your clients that in most cases, the structure of commercial buildings already make solar panels easily accessible. The solar cells are also encased in tempered, protective glass, and framed by non-corrosive aluminum to be able to withstand rain, hail, wind, and snow, or just about any weather-related threat that you can think of. The installation won&#;t also be a problem with the help of a roof hatch for easy access to the roof. Generally, the photovoltaic cells that compose the solar panels very rarely break down and even if they do, you have to inform your clients that your solar panels come with a warranty.
8. Commercial solar panels are environmentally-friendly.
The most enticing part about investing in solar panels is the fact that the use of solar energy doesn&#;t cause any pollution at all. Although there might be emissions related to the production and the installation of the panels, the use of such energy itself doesn&#;t give off harmful gases. This greatly helps in the reduction of the harmful greenhouse effects that has been affecting the ozone layer for decades.
9. Solar panel gardens help overcome installation issues.
Solar energy panels usually require large spaces. Since not all businesses are huge enough to be able to house solar energy panels, there is yet another solution&#; solar panel gardens. These gardens are usually vacant areas that can accommodate a large number of panels so the energy can be equally distributed.
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10. No worries about noise.
Anyone who wants to invest in solar energy panels doesn&#;t have to worry about the noise because the same are not constructed with individual parts that create various sounds that can be distracting and annoying.
11. By installing solar panels, commercial business owners can become part of a global movement.
Commercial business owners who invest in solar panels allow them to become part of a global movement towards making the world a cleaner and greener place. It is also a great opportunity to be able to set an example for other business owners who are not yet on board with switching to a more sustainable energy source. When there is already an increasing number of people adopting green energy sources, companies and corporations will get the message to make a change in order to keep up with the times. Although it may seem small and insignificant, commercial businesses that learn to save energy can really make a huge difference.
The Cons: Downside of Solar Panels For commercial Buildings
While there are many pros that commercial business owners can get from solar panels, there are also downsides or cons. Take a look at some of them:
1. Solar panels will increase the commercial business&#; dependence on the weather.
There is no question that solar panels decrease dependence on electrical companies and increase dependence on the weather, which can be less predictable. When there are cloudy days, it may not be good for the system&#;s efficiency of any business and having too many in a row can even lead to higher power bills than expected.
2. A layout with too many trees or buildings can be disadvantageous for the use of solar panels.
If the commercial building is surrounded by tall trees or buildings, the solar power system may never reach its full potential for efficiency. Even in the sunniest of conditions, the solar panels still won&#;t be able to function properly if they are blocked by trees or buildings. That&#;s where your clients will need your advice and inspection of the building site and the electricity requirements before they make up their minds about investing in solar power for their businesses.
3. Solar panels need extra care and checkup.
Contrary to what others may think, solar panels are just like any other technological equipment that requires extra care and checkup. A solar panel that acquires dust and debris will have a reduced efficiency, which is why it is important to keep it clean to get the most out of it. It will also help when commercial buildings include the installation of a roof hatch in their layout. Roof hatches greatly help in providing qualified repair technicians an easy access to solar panels in case they get damaged by hail, wind-blown debris or animals.
4. Commercial solar panels require a hefty upfront investment.
Installing a commercial solar energy system can really break the bank if the one investing is not prepared for it. Even with tax breaks and rebates, solar panels can still be a huge investment that needs a lot of consideration. There is also the issue of whether the electrical system will have to be reconfigured especially when the solar power system is to be added to an existing structure. There might also be the need for roof replacement. Adding these factors already make the installation of a system in an existing building more expensive than installing one during a new construction. This is where you, as a solar energy professional, steps in to provide your clients with an exhaustive cost-benefit analysis before they are able to put down that much cash as investment.
5. There are many differences in quality for solar panels.
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Commercial solar panels options are not the same. There are different choices such as monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin film solar panels. To provide your clients more information, here are the features of these mentioned panels:
Another consideration aside from the quality is also the reputation of the brand in order to find the best product and service available.
6. Solar panels can only provide intermittent energy sources.
Aside from the unpredictable weather, solar panels don&#;t also work when there&#;s no sun, especially at night. Moreover, the sun also has different intensity levels of providing heat. For commercial business owners, it is also important to store the solar energy absorbed by the solar panels. Installation of a backup power source is important especially in places that don&#;t see a lot of sunlight often.
7. Solar panels generally require large spaces.
To be able to fully utilize efficient solar panels, a large space may be required for them to generate the needed electricity. Unfortunately, commercial businesses that are located in already crowded cities can make this project harder to achieve.
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Final Thoughts
With all the years of energy sourcing, the Earth is already facing the problems brought about by climate change. More and more industries are now turning toward sustainability and green buildings. That&#;s why it is important to get on board with it more than ever.
For homeowners and businesses alike, solar panels are becoming much more accessible already. The once expensive traditional roof-rack solar panels can now be installed for just as low as $3,000. While some business owners might find chunky solar panels ugly and off-putting, there now exists other solutions such as solar roof tiles. These tiles may look exactly like normal roof slates while absorbing the sun&#;s energy without drawing attention. With these tiles, sustainable beautiful eco-homes and eco-commercial buildings are already made possible. Although in the large scheme of things, the installation of solar panels doesn&#;t seem like it actually helps much, if every business owner out there did their part to become more eco-conscious, sustainability is actually a great way to attract customers and impress the regular ones as well.
It is also noteworthy that even if it is already high time for business owners to make the greener choice by switching to solar panels as an environmental-friendly option, it is still important to expect certain drawbacks when using commercial solar panels.
Lastly, protecting solar panels would also entail the use of roof hatches for providing solar panel technicians easy access during maintenance. For best results in construction projects, www.bestaccessdoors.com can provide the ideal roof hatch that will go well with those solar panels!
Although American solar panel manufacturing is growing and many global brands have set up in the country, the domestic demand far outweighs supply. This often leads to mismatched or unfulfilled orders to needy installers. To ensure contracts are met, some installers might choose to source their own panels and use an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for smaller orders of custom product.
There are a few U.S. panel manufacturing plants that also offer space as OEMs, and a number of players take advantage &#; whether it&#;s a foreign company wanting to deliver a batch of Made-in-USA product or a small domestic outfit with a unique need.
CertainTeed Solar has a network of installation partners that have become accustomed to its high-quality roofing products and want the same in the solar department. Lumos Solar makes beautiful architecture projects with integrated solar that not just anyone can supply. And Next Energy Alliance is a Utah installer and distributor that wants a consistent supply of solar panels. These three companies aren&#;t trying to be panel manufacturing powerhouses but are supplying niche markets and a steady stream of customers through OEMs.
CertainTeed has been an American building mega-company for over 115 years. Primarily known for its roofing products, the company made the logical step to enter the solar market 10 years ago. Not only does CertainTeed, a Saint-Gobain company, produce solar shingles installed alongside traditional roofing shingles and tiles, the company also offers 60- and 72-cell panels installed through its &#;Master Solar Installer&#; dealers.
Instead of linking with an established panel manufacturer for its installation partners, CertainTeed produces its own modules through an OEM in California. Chris Fisher, solar product manager for CertainTeed, said this decision was made to have better control over the characteristics, performance, quality and reliability of the products the company sells.
&#;Having been in the solar industry for more than 10 years, we&#;ve seen a number of very large solar panel manufacturers come and go as they grew too fast, traded profit for market share or couldn&#;t create a sustainable compelling product. So, bigger is not always better,&#; Fisher said.
CertainTeed is capable of producing more than 100 MW of panels in California. The company uses the California OEM to make its Apollo II and Apollo Tile II building-applied PV options and its 60- and 72-cell Solstice panels.
Maybe because CertainTeed is involved with other aspects of the roof, bringing solar products in-house was an obvious choice.
&#;We fundamentally believe that for the end customer, having a unified, single-source warranty for both the panels and the balance of systems is a much better value than having multiple warranties from disparate component manufacturers,&#; Fisher said.
Fisher said that although having Made-in-USA panels is an important selling point for CertainTeed, manufacturing domestically reflects the company&#;s commitment to the United States.
&#;We&#;ve been in business in the United States for 115 years,&#; he said. &#;With more than 60 facilities in North America and more than 6,000 employees in the United States, we&#;ve got deep roots in this country, and we want to support it to the greatest extent possible.&#;
Colorado-based Lumos Solar started in doing both solar product development and installation, but founder and CEO Scott Franklin said the installation side was difficult to differentiate in the race to the lowest price. So, the company switched gears in and now focuses 100% on product development.
&#;We&#;re building solar products that enhance the environment. Most commercial projects are on flat roofs that no one can see. Our products are the entryways &#; canopies or shade structures that people can live with every day,&#; he said. &#;Lumos is changing the perception of solar from an unwanted electrical appliance to a statement.&#;
Lumos is a &#;solar architectural firm,&#; working primarily with building and site designers to get its solar products &#; solar awnings, canopies, pergolas and facades &#; included in final designs. The company has contracted a California OEM to make Lumos&#;s proprietary solar panels.
&#;There is no solution that can do the same thing. We&#;re not making commodity modules that you can get from anyone,&#; Franklin said. &#;Everything is holistically designed from the ground up.&#;
Lumos produces both mono- and bifacial modules out of California. The LSX is a 60-cell frameless module with a clear backsheet. GSX is a bifacial glass-glass module in a traditional 72- or 60-cell module footprint, but fewer cells can be used to increase module transparency between cell rows. Since each project is so custom, Franklin said the company manufactures panels in &#;the megawatt range&#; annually.
&#;There are a lot of opportunities for improvement in architectural solutions,&#; Franklin said. &#;We take a total system approach to design and manufacture our products. Solar panel manufacturers make panels, racking manufacturers make racking, electrical makes BOS &#; no one is thinking about how the whole project goes together. Our solution solves a lot of those issues &#; panels, integration, aesthetics.&#;
Both the LSX and GSX modules have concealed conductors and junction boxes, a &#;trademark feature&#; of Lumos Solar.
&#;We&#;re focused on overhead solar, like awnings and canopies, where your interaction with it is from below,&#; Franklin said. &#;We&#;ve focused on making that as aesthetic as possible.&#;
Franklin said Lumos Solar has worked with sourcing modules from China and elsewhere, but bringing that manufacturing control to the United States allows the company to focus on quality.
&#;We&#;re committed to Made-in-America for our own beliefs and business practices,&#; he said. &#;Everything we make is made in the United States. The only thing coming from overseas are the solar cells and glass. Beyond that, we make it all here.&#;
Next Energy Alliance is very new to module manufacturing. The distributor/installer in Utah got involved in manufacturing after founder Doug Hewitt was struggling to secure panel orders from bigger names.
&#;I was buying direct and it just became a joke of trying to make sure I had inventory,&#; he said. &#;One month I was buying Trinas at 330-W and they were guaranteeing me that I could get them. Then when it came to order, they&#;d only have 295-W.&#;
The demand for panels was so large that companies would guarantee something, and it&#;d be gone the next day, Hewitt said. So that&#;s when he started looking at getting bulk supply from Asian companies. Eventually that led to working through a Southern California OEM for NEA-branded panels.
&#;I was getting stuff overseas and decided really quickly that navigating tariffs was difficult. So I talked to three different manufacturers in the United States and decided to have someone make my panels,&#; he said. &#;I&#;m just pulling a &#;Nike model.&#; They decided, &#;We&#;re not going to have our own factories everywhere. We&#;re just going to outsource it.'&#;
Hewitt also mentions that almost all tier 1 companies adopt this outsourcing process, and many Southeast Asian OEMs have reached out to Next Energy Alliance to make NEA panels on their manufacturing lines alongside other tier 1 brands. When customers ask for tier 1 panels, they&#;re requesting an industry marketing term that does not reflect panel reliability or performance. Next Energy Alliance panels are UL certified and have received high marks on performance scorecards.
Hewitt envisions Next Energy Alliance as a network of solar companies, connecting sales with installers and providing guaranteed product. For now, the company is making all-black 60- and 72-cell NEA modules through the California OEM. Hewitt said he only offers all-black modules because he wouldn&#;t put a white backsheet on his own home, and people are worried about aesthetics. Next Energy Alliance either sold or personally installed almost 7 MW of NEA modules last year.
Hewitt said he tries to have at least five containers of modules in stock in the warehouse at all times. NEA and the OEM can scale to 20 containers a month, but the company isn&#;t quite to that level yet. Next Energy Alliance was recently approved with Dividend, Loanpal and Sunlight Financial, so wheels are in motion.
Today&#;s focus is just making solar installers&#; lives easier.
&#;The plan is to continue to build that distribution and relationships,&#; Hewitt said. &#;We&#;re not just a manufacturer &#; we&#;ve done it all. We&#;ve done installs. We know the pain and heartaches for contractors.&#;
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