Pros and Cons of Powering Up Business with Solar Energy
All the big businesses, like Apple, Amazon and Google, are now going solar. Apple, for example, has giant solar farms in California to power up the company’s headquarters. If you run a medium to small sized business, investing in solar energy is a worthwhile option to consider.
Solar energy is widely considered a sustainable and long lasting solution to depending on the grid. But as with many things, there are pros and cons to solar energy as well. Let’s look at some of them, and then afterward you can decide if solar energy is really for your business.
Pros
Your Business Can be (Almost) Energy Independent
One of the biggest perks of getting solar energy is that your business will no longer have to be dependent on the grid. If your company maintains its own servers for example, you will not have to pay the city massive electricity bills. You can do whatever you want with the solar energy the infrastructure generates. You can increase energy consumption at your company without paying a hefty price for it.
Send an Environmentally Friendly Message
Going solar is an evidence-backed way to send a green message to your consumers and competitors. Modern consumers are particularly concerned about the environmental impact of the products they consume. They will be more willing to stick with your brand if its certified green, as using solar energy would do. Your company will be able to get a significant leg up over a competitor who is not green.
Save Money and Avoid Brownouts
Obviously, going solar is an excellent way to save money on energy costs. The solar power is generated for free and requires little processing or travel time to enter your company’s circuits. If a blackout or more likely a brownout occurs in the city, your business will not be affected. If you hire a reliable solar energy provider like Sunlife Solar, you will be able to enjoy lucrative deductions in monthly energy bills.
Cons
Climate Issues may Pop Up
The thing about solar energy is that it’s not suitable for everyone. Whether or not your company should invest in solar energy would largely depend on the location of the office. If it’s located in a sunny place like Arizona, you will be able to greatly benefit from solar all year around. However, if the company is in Seattle, there can be problems. As much as you would love going solar, the decision is largely made up by the climate in your area.
It’s Makes Little Sense of the Office Moves
Solar panel installation is a significant investment. While you may be able to benefit from the investment for the next 20 years, it doesn’t make much sense if you plan to move the office in five years. So, solar panels are only financially advantageous for your company if the executives plan on using the building for years to come.
Mother Nature is Unpredictable
Another big flip side of solar is the inherent unpredictability of weather. You may be able to inexperience bright sunshine in the morning and then rain in the afternoon. If your area starts getting rainy or cloudy, you will be running on whatever energy is left in the batteries. Then you will have to go back to the grid until the sun shines once more.
Now that you know both the perks and the downsides of installing solar energy panels at your business, you should be able to make a financially and strategically sensible decision to install solar panels.
Great article. I have been considering using solar energy for my business for sometime now, and came across your site. thank you for the valuable resource.