Photovoltaic Solutions
PV systems are not just for domestic properties and small buildings; they are becoming increasingly popular amongst business and public sectors, with many commercial enterprises seeing the great value that PV energy production can bring to produce cost-effective building management. With many commercial properties being of modern construction, PV systems can suit the aesthetics of a building and add credibility to the company inhabiting it. But more than being an added green credential for commerce to boast, photovoltaic solar energy production can save a lot of money, provide a substantial proportion of the company's electricity needs, and generate additional income.
System Requirements
The system for a commercial setting can be of any required size, limited only by the available and appropriate roof or ground space for mounting the panels. Roof or ground space must enable the panels to face in a southerly direction in order to capture sufficient amounts of daylight. Two factors govern the area of space required for the panel mounting; the system size and the type of panels installed. Highly efficient monocrystalline panels are naturally the most expensive type, and amorphous panels are the least expensive, but require twice the surface area to be as efficient as monocrystalline technology. The mounting area also needs to be free of shade, for example by overhanging tree branches or adjacent buildings.
Electricity Production
The larger the system, the greater the amount of electricity produced. For a domestic sized building the general size installed is much smaller than a commercial size, namely around 2-4 kW. The suitable commercial size depends on the building size and the energy consumption within that building. Installation companies usually aim to give a company between one third and one half of their electricity needs through solar power. To give an example of system sizes, a 50kW system might cost around £120,000 to install. The panels would cover an area of 200 to 350 square metres, and the production capabilities of the system would be around 45,000 kWh of electricity per year.
Schemes and Savings
The Feed-In Tariff initiative allows a system, whether commercial or domestic, to receive payments for the solar electricity it produces. The scheme is available for any system size up to 5mW (5,000 kW). Under the scheme, the larger the system size, the smaller the payment made per kWh produced, but it also follows that the more expensive the system, the less initial outlay is required when installing. The FIT scheme is designed to allow the installation costs to be recouped within a given timescale, usually between nine and ten years. As the scheme is applied to an installation for 25 years, once the installation is paid for, the income is effectively a 'profit' to the company. The scheme gives a payment for the electricity generated and used, and slightly higher amount for that energy which is not used but instead is exported to the National Grid. For a 50kW system, the annual generated income is around £13,000, allowing the installation costs to be met within ten years, and giving a further 15 years income on top of the provided electricity for the commercial premises.
