Businesses considering switching to solar must choose a reliable and experienced installer and a provider. It can be tricky to find the right one, even if interest in solar power is booming in Australia. The problem is, most businesses don’t know the right questions to ask a provider. Choosing a food installer is not just about getting access to high-quality hardware. Here are several helpful tips for businesses on the lookout for a commercial solar provider:
Request a Preliminary Evaluation
Nearly all solar power providers would agree to offer equipment for commercial providers. But that doesn’t mean the equipment is suitable for your building. Therefore, one of the first questions you should as a provider is whether they are willing to perform a primary evaluation of your building to see if the system they sell is suitable for installation there. A professional provider would agree.
Look for Multiple Financing Options
More often than not, business clients want to know how much the solar panels cot. However, the total cost of installing a solar power system is not limited to the price of the panels. Installation would incur its own fee, in addition to other fees such as for consultations and site analyses. Plus, if infrastructure needs to be built to changed, then that would cost your company too.
The problem with asking the price just for solar panels is that there are several options for financing a solar power system. Businesses can purchase all the hardware with a maintenance agreement with the provider, which is typically very expensive. A more popular option is to enter into a power purchase agreement with the provider, where solar power with provided with zero upfront costs for the client. Different financing systems suit different business needs. Therefore, instead of just considering cost for the hardware, quiz the providers about their comprehensive financing plans.
Ask the Provider about ROI
As a business, your company may already have run a cost estimate for the returns and savings on energy bills from switching to solar power. However, this ROI estimate can differ depending on the system you put in place. Therefore, business clients must ask providers exactly how much the company can save from installing the particular system they promote. Your company should additionally discuss other financial incentives and energy saving opportunities before settling down on a particular provider.
Choose a Provider with a Great Maintenance Plan
It’s true that solar power systems are long lasting and requires minimal maintenance. But that doesn’t mean solar power systems are completely maintenance free. Ultimately, the maintenance would have to be performed by the provider. If you end up with an unreliable provider, even a simple cleaning issue could end up costing a fortune. Therefore, look for providers that offer solid maintenance clauses in the contracts. Ideally, there should be basic cleaning, basic repairs, and performance monitoring services included in a long-term contract. Otherwise, the maintenance costs could end up trumping the energy saving costs.
Businesses are encouraged to consult with several commercial solar providers and ask probing questions to find the right provider. Pay attention to the contracts offered. Importantly, make sure the provider offers more than one financing option for your company to consider.
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