It’s a brave new world of commercial solar

The opportunity for commercial solar in New York is huge. Recognizing this, Venture Solar is proud to now be bringing its excellence in residential solar to the commercial realm.

What is Commercial Solar?

Commercial solar is a much broader category than solar for your home. There are many different types of clients (businesses, building owners, public institutions, religious and non-profit organizations), equipment (ballasted roof mounts, ground mounts, carports) and financing (operating leases, power purchase agreements, PACE loans). While these options can seem overwhelming, Venture Solar is excellent at navigating you to the solution that will provide you the most savings long term.

‘Commercial solar can include a business or organization installing solar and saving money on their electric bills while boosting their brand as sustainable. It can also be a building owner that has an open roof that could earn extra income by leasing their roof to a community solar project. Either way, tax incentives, cash rebates and property tax abatements mean going solar can provide a lot of value to many people,’ says Brandon Davis, Commercial Business Development, SunPower by Venture Solar.

The best businesses and organizations for solar have some common characteristics. Generally they have been around for over 3 years and are profitable or in the case of non-profits they have well-managed finances. They own a building with a new roof (5 years or less) that has little shade and few obstructions such as vent pipes, HVAC units, or skylights. They have a power bill over $1,000 a month and roof space larger than 5,000 square feet.

If you are a building owner looking to rent your roof, it is a little different. In this case, you should have a roof at least 25,000 square feet and if you are in NYC, you pay property taxes. You should also have a newer roof (5 years or less) and again with few obstructions. The community solar agreements are generally 20 years so it is important to understand your long-term goals for your property.

How We Can Help You

While we can and often work with clients that do not check all of these boxes, if the above sounds like you, solar is likely an great investment. The truth is that the savings are often greater than residential solar, (paybacks often occur in under 4 years) and having a trusted partner to get you to your goal is key.

It’s easy to get a full analysis of your building and potential savings. With a copy of your electric bill and your address, our team can review your site and tell you exactly what you stand to gain with solar. During your first meeting, we will discuss the best options for you. You can reach out to us to learn more.