California Businesses Using Solar Energy

There are more California businesses using solar energy than ever before due to the incentives by the utilities to provide rebates under the California Solar Incentive program (CSI)  and tax breaks from the federal government. Businesses across the state are getting on board in record numbers making the state the nations leader in the installation of photovoltaic modules.

A solar system consists of panels or photovoltaic modules that are usually roof mounted on racking or sometimes ground mounted in “farms” as they are often referred. The panels are made of poly or mono silicone sections which, when hit with light photons, convert the light into DC electric power. This current is collected and fed into inverters that convert the DC to AC current. These inverters are either string types that handle many modules at a time or micro inverters that are assigned to a single module.

There are two types of solar systems for commercial building power; on grid and off grid. On grid systems are the most prevalent and feed the power produced back to the power grid through the meters actually causing the meters to run in reverse during peak hours of solar production.  The off grid systems take the power from the inverters and feed it directly to the facility. These systems are more complex due to the demand for power not always coinciding with the solar production creating the need for storage or a secondary power source. These systems are often used in areas where grid power is not available. In third world countries a single solar panel can bring light to a home that has never had it, or charge a cell phone to provide communication from primitive or remote areas.

Solar panels for businesses, and also residences, usually range in wattage from 200 to 280 watts each. Every five solar panel produces approximately one kilowatt of power and must have a plus or minus performance ratio that is published with the specifications. Generally this number is less than 3 percent.  Dirt depreciation over time can reduce the output.  In California all solar products, to be eligible for the CSI program, must be on an SB1 compliant list. These products have met all the performance criteria required. This list has become the standard throughout the nation for solar products. 

Commercial businesses are easy retrofits for solar power, in most cases, due to there flat, unobstructed roofs and their close proximity to the power grid. Many also have unused land that can be used for additional power. The best candidates for these systems are the ones that have a single floor and a large square foot surface. High rise buildings are not well suited due to the interior square footage to roof surface ratio. This is not to say that solar will not benefit these buildings. It is not just as great a benefit as it is to the wide flat building.

Google’s headquarters is probably the most well know of all the large solar projects in the US. Oddly enough it is in a place where the sun shines less than anywhere in the US. In California we are lucky to have the sunshine almost every day, at least in the southern region. Some buildings that can greatly benefit from solar power are:

• Manufacturing
• Hospitals
• Schools
• Retail
• Commercial
• Agricultural
• More

If being one of the California businesses using solar energy is for you and your building, great caution must be taken in finding the right installer. There are many unqualified contractors and even scam artists who have jumped on the opportunity to make easy money.  Be sure to hire a contractor who knows roofing. You do not want to install all that equipment on an old roof and have to remove it when it starts to leak or the weight causes it to sag on even collapse.  Be sure the contractor is trained and experienced in all types of solar installations and then you can rest assured that you have made the right choice.

Shadowcrest Roofing installs solar roofing in San Diego, Los Angeles, Fallbrook, Laguna Beach, La Jolla, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, Newport Beach, Laguna Hills, Coto de Caza and Rolling Hills Estates.