Tips for Adding Solar Power to Your Commercial Building

Solar power has grown in popularity for both residential and commercial purposes in recent years.

The simple truth is that consumers like working with businesses that make an effort to give back and go green, so adding solar to your business can actually improve your overall corporate image. But before you start shopping for solar panels, keep reading this article to get tips on adding solar power to a commercial building.

Consider Your Rights to the Building

Not every business owner actually owns the building that their business is in. If you rent or lease a space for your company, you likely don’t have the rights to make these kinds of major changes to the space. You’ll need to speak to the property owner about installing solar on your behalf, or look into purchasing your own space before you can start mounting solar panels to the roof.

Consider Your Roof Type

Many commercial buildings have flat roofs. This allows for easier access to rooftop HVAC units, but it does impact the way you’ll install any solar panels. Solar panels are most productive when they’re mounted at an angle. This means that you’ll need racking equipment that’s specifically designed for elevating and tilting panels installed on a flat roof; this equipment may be different from the standard mounting materials used on a slanted residential roof, so make sure you’re looking at your options very carefully. Getting the right racking equipment for your type of roof can help to improve the productivity and efficiency of your building’s solar panels.

Consider Your Power Needs

Businesses often have much higher power needs than residential buildings. Operating dozens of computers for 8 hours a day, along with larger equipment like printers, copiers, external hard drives, HVAC systems, and manufacturing equipment means using a lot of power on a daily basis. You’ll need to very carefully calculate what your power needs are to ensure your solar power system is large enough to meet those needs.

Consider Your Power Type

Did you know there are actually different types of power? Most residential homes have single-phase power, but commercial buildings are more likely to have three-phase power. Make sure you know which type of power is running to your office building before you buy an inverter, since you’ll need one that’s designed for your specific power supply. If your building is like most commercial buildings, SolarEdge three-phase inverters will likely be your best option.


The PowerStore Inc

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