Businesses in Ireland are finding solar power and increasingly attractive way to reduce their electricity bills, promote corporate sustainability, and future proof their business against price shocks.
The cost of solar panels in Ireland for businesses has declined substantially in recent years, with many grants to help, making the initial upfront investment in solar PV far less off-putting compared with the many potential benefits.
The key takeaways:
Table of Content
Benefits of Solar Panels for Businesses
Reducing Energy Bills
Installing solar panels can help businesses reduce their operating costs from electricity usage
Green Credentials
Using renewable energy shows that a business is committed to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint.
Property Values
Solar Panels installed on any commercial property will help to increase BER Rating and its value
Energy Independence
Solar power protects businesses from shifting electricity prices and reduces reliance on the grid.
Blackout Protection
Having commercial solar PV panels and battery storage can help protect businesses from power outages.
Falling Costs
Rapidly falling costs and grant support have made solar panels more affordable than ever for businesses
Sell Excess Power
Businesses with solar panels can sell any excess electricity back to the grid to generate further savings
Commercial Solar Costs & Grants
The price of solar panels for businesses has fallen rapidly in just a few years. It now costs between €1,200 and €1,700 per kWp to install solar PV on a business depending on the quality of the components and the difficulty of the installation work.
There are many grants available which can help with the cost of installing solar panels on businesses. The SEAI offers up to €162,600 in direct grant funding, with many other schemes also available.
Different Sectors Use of Commercial Solar Panels
Many different sectors of the economy can make use of commercial solar panels. Different businesses can reduce their costs in multiple ways and scale through the use of solar PV. The grant funding available for the cost of installing solar panels will vary depending on the size and particular use of a business.#
Read more about the use of Commercial Solar Panels in different Sectors.
How much can businesses save with Commercial Solar Panels?
Businesses can save anything from hundreds to thousands of euro each year using solar panels to cut down their electricity bills.
With skyrocketing electricity prices, and many expecting them to stay high for some time, businesses stand to make more savings than ever by using solar panels to generate up to 50% of their electricity needs.
Check out our solar panel calculator too see how much electricity commercial solar panels could help generate for a business.
The exact amount which businesses can save by installing commercial solar panels is determined by how much electricity they use, the price set by their utility provider, and the size of the solar panel system they have.
Even for micro and small businesses consuming less than 20,000kWh of electricity each year, that could mean an annual electricity bill of approximately €6,000.
Cmmercial solar panel installations of just 6kW, around 15 – 20 solar panels, could result in savings of roughly €2,400 on energy bills each year.
Solar Energy as an Investment
Commercial solar panels on a business are also an excellent long term investment of your money. Solar panels give an approximate return on investment (ROI) of 14% – 25%, and commercial solar panels installations will typically have paid for themselves off in 4 – 7 years.
Everything beyond that is free electricity, as well as a source of income from selling surplus electricity back to the grid.
Just a 20kWp solar PV system can generate up to 17,300kWh of electricity each year, saving businesses more than €6,000 on their energy bills.
For any property, having solar panels installed will also help raise its BER, and the subsequent value of the property and reduce your carbon footprint.
Tariffs for Commercial Solar Power
Businesses with solar panels installed can benefit from selling excess electricity they generate back to the grid in a manner similar to residential solar PV systems.
When the solar panels installed on a business premises are generating more electricity than is currently being used the surplus is sent back to the grid, and the business in question is paid for it.
There are two main schemes which may apply for excess solar energy generated by commercial premises, The Microgeneration Support Scheme and the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme.
For solar PV systems up to 50kW in size a tariff will be paid under the MGSS, the rate for which is set by the utility provider.
For Solar PV systems larger than 50kW in size and up to 6MW new tariff rates have been set under the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, which aims to provide better value to larger businesses.
| Solar PV System Size | Electricity Generator | Tariff Rates |
|---|---|---|
| 50kW – 1MW | Renewable Energy Communities
Small / Medium Enterprises |
€150/MWh
€130/MWh |
| 1MW – 6MW | Renewable Energy Communities
Small / Medium Enterprises |
€140/MWh
€120/MWH |
Commercial Solar Panels Installation
How long it takes to install solar panels on a factory or other industrial building will depend on the size of the system and other factors.
For smaller installations consisting of 20 or so solar panels being installed on a small business, the installation could take place in a single day, similar to domestic solar systems.
However, for larger businesses or factories the process might take weeks or even months to design and install. This is particularly true if a factory is located in an area where planning permission is required in proximity to airports or helipads.
FAQs
Solar Energy for Your Business
To sum it up, commercial solar energy is an excellent way to save money for any business by using renewable energy to cut your bills now, and future proof against further changes in the market by delivering
Get in touch and see how much commercial solar panels can do for your business in terms of savings and reducing your carbon footprint.
Get a free quote for solar energy today and start reducing your businesses carbon footprint!
