Many households and businesses have already made the move to solar and are enjoying the bill savings solar PV can bring. But what about solar panels for a home business, those commercial set-ups that operate from home? Are solar panels a good option?
Big or small, your business would likely benefit from a solar installation. The main question is whether your property can house a solar PV system large enough to meet your electricity needs.
Is My Home Business Suitable For Solar?
The answer largely comes down to your electricity needs. You may struggle if you are planning to run both your home and your business from the same solar system, especially with a large family or a larger workforce.
A one-person business operating from a small home office may be able to meet its needs from a domestic-scale solar system. A business with several people, working in a small workshop and needing electricity to run power tools, lighting and computers throughout the day, will need a larger array.
In some cases you may not have enough roof space to fit the number of panels you need, in which case ground-mounted panels are worth considering if you have spare land.
Factors such as location, roof angle, shading and the amount of sunlight your property receives will all affect how well your panels perform, so these need to be taken into account. To check whether solar suits your home business, get your free assessment and one of our team will review your suitability and outline your system options.
Why Choose Solar For Your Home Business?
Bill savings
See immediate reductions in your energy costs, building into a larger saving over the long term.
Environmental reasons
A renewable source of generation cuts your reliance on fossil fuels and your carbon footprint.
Reduced grid dependence
Protects your business from future price shocks in the wider electricity market.
Eco-responsible image
Market your business as environmentally responsible to customers and clients.
How Many Solar Panels Will My Home Business Need?
Every home business has different electricity requirements, so the number of panels needed will vary. Larger home businesses with several staff will generally need more panels than a smaller one-person set-up, reflecting higher electricity use. That said, this is not always the case - some businesses employ several people but none of whom need much electricity to do their job, so usage, not headcount, is what really drives the panel count.
How Much Will My Home Businesses Solar System Cost?
The cost of a home business solar system depends on the size you need. A very small home business operating from a home office may be able to run on a standard small-scale domestic solar system, while a larger business will need a bigger, and more expensive, set-up. We do not publish a single price range as fact here, because the right figure depends entirely on your usage and roof - your free assessment gives you a cost specific to your property.
What shapes the cost of a home business system
Typical panel lifespan
Typical inverter lifespan
Whatever the cost, the annual saving from drawing less electricity from the grid soon adds up. With solar panels typically lasting well over 20 years, this builds into a meaningful saving over the lifetime of the system.
How Long Will A Home Business Solar PV System Take To Install?
For small home businesses needing only a small array, installation is usually straightforward and can often be completed within a day, with minimal disruption. A larger, more complex installation, particularly one combined with battery storage, can take several days.
Is Solar Reliable Enough For My Business?
How reliable your system feels day to day depends on your location and the amount of sunlight you receive. You can strengthen your set-up with battery storage, which stores excess daytime generation for use when your system is not generating, such as in the evening. And you will always have the grid as a fallback for whenever your solar system alone cannot meet your electricity needs.
