Commercial Solar

In today's economy, businesses need to utilize every means possible to maximize their competitive edge. That means, among other things, lowering energy costs and showing environmentally concerned customers that your company is doing its part to shrink our collective carbon footprint.

Commercial solar panels and a complete solar energy production and management system offers many benefits to your business, and those benefits keep coming for decades after initial installation.

At Sun Solar Electric, we are committed to helping businesses in Sonoma, CA, and surrounding counties of the SF Bay Area, harness our most abundant form of "free" energy (sunlight) and use it to power their way to success.

We have helped numerous other business owners from across a wide array of industries successfully integrate solar energy strategies into their overall business goals. The result has been increased energy efficiency, access to special tax benefits, and greater reliance on sustainable, renewable forms of energy.

To learn more or for a free initial consultation on the details of how commercial solar power systems work, contact Sun Solar Electric today by calling 707-658-2157.


Commercial Solar Is For Every Business Type

Regardless of whether you are operating an office building, workshop, factory, or agricultural endeavor, electricity is foundational to your ability to meet your day to day productivity goals in a timely, efficient manner. And yet, the costs of electric power are often large, unpredictable in the short-term, and constantly rising over the long-term.

The fact is, installing a solar system on your commercial building's roof or on a stand nearby your building can significantly reduce your operating costs. You can offset the costs of electricity by generating a portion of it yourself via solar panels and then selling that solar power back to your electric provider, thus reducing your monthly bill.

The tax benefits and overall friendliness of the market in California toward solar energy means that you are likely to see a high ROI, for California solar energy investments have among the highest ROI in the nation, on average.

In some cases, solar energy output can actually eliminate your power bill or even leave the power company owing you money at month's end. This will depend on how many and what kind of solar panels you install, and solar collection area will depend on how much high sun exposure square footage you have available on your premises. But, even when you don't eliminate your power bill, you can greatly shrink it, and the savings add up fast.

It normally takes around 5 years to reach the break even point (to pay for the panels and equipment), but solar systems often have 25 year warranties and continue to save you money month on month for decades on end.

Plus, the 30% federal ITC tax credit and any state and local credits or rebates, will save you every year as well. And should you ever sell your solar-powered commercial property in the future, all benefits will transfer with it. That includes the right to sell solar power to the electric company and save and all tax benefits. That's often a major plus in the eyes of potential buyers, which gets you a higher selling price and a quicker sell.

Finally, not only does solar gain you immediate savings and tax credits, but it also serves to increase stability in energy costs. You can often lock in rates for years, at which you sell solar energy to your power company, and also lock in rates at which you buy energy from them. This creates greater predictability, which aides in advance budgeting and frees up more working capital. It can give your business greater financial flexibility.


The "Green" Advantage in Today's Business Environment

Besides the more straightforward and easily calculated costs savings on energy and on taxes, making your business "greener" via installation of solar electric equipment is good for your business in other ways.

It can add up to 7 points to your commercial building's LEED score. This can help you get over the mark for LEED certification or simply boost your total score. The fact you have LEED certification and a high score, and that you draw some or all of your operating energy from solar panels, is a big selling point with many "Earth-conscious customers" and gives you a great selling point and a potentially enlarged customer base.

PR campaigns are a part of doing business, and solar energy gives you a great basis for them. But it's also a genuinely effective way to reduce your corporate carbon footprint, which is great news for business owners who are themselves as concerned about the environment as are their customers.


Evaluations Preparatory to Solar System Installation

The first step is making the decision to "go solar" and deciding what are your solar production goals and how much you are willing to invest. But the next step is evaluating your property and your power consumption patterns and electric grid and box to determine how best to implement the plan and meet your goals.

At Sun Solar Electric, we guide you through the whole process step by step and take the time to explain it to you in a non-technical way that is easy to understand for those not familiar with all the intricacies of how electric and solar equipment works. 

We begin by inspecting your roof to ensure it has sufficient high-sun space for the solar panels and by ensuring it has sufficient strength to bear the extra weight. If needed, we can have your roof's weight-bearing capacity improved in the relevant areas.

For ground-mounted units, we will find the sunniest available areas of your property and determine at what height panels should be mounted, and in which direction they should face for optimal solar energy harvesting.

And in challenging situations, such as property largely covered by ponds and bodies of water, we still find a solution. We can use, for example, the water borne solar panel mounting system of Ciel & Terre to harvest solar power where it wasn't possible to do so until recently.

Next, we need to examine your power consumption rates over the last 3 to 5 years to determine how much solar energy you need to produce. If you are satisfied with 50% or 25% solar-based energy; or if you want 100% or even 110% (to make money and ensure you never have to pay a power bill), we can calculate from that, how many, how large, and what kind of solar panels to install. 

Not all solar energy panels function at the same level, and we can help guide you in deciding how to balance the costs, production capabilities, and other factors involved in selecting a brand and type of solar panel to use.

Finally, we will inspect your power main and your building's electric grid/system in general to ensure you can handle feeding in extra power from the solar system. Sometimes, it may be necessary to upgrade older electrical systems; and normally, at least some additional equipment will need to be installed to facilitate the injection of solar-based power into your normal electric gird. For example, we will need to set up equipment that will measure how much energy you sell back to the power company so you can be duly compensated.

We at Sun Solar Electric are fully familiar with local SF Bay Area building codes and with the most modern advances in electric technology that are relevant to setting up a solar system. We know how to meet all building code and licensing agreement stipulations and how to install equipment that will get the most out of your solar system.

And we know how to choose the best type of solar panels for each situation and how to optimally place them on your grounds for maximum efficiency.

We help you prepare for installation, and then we come to install all necessary equipment according to the agreed upon plan. You stay firmly in control at all times, and we do all the work.


Our Offered Services

Besides evaluating your building to prepare for solar power, installing the solar equipment, and helping you make informed decisions all along the way, we at Sun Solar Electric offer a number of other related services.

First, we offer help with trouble shooting any problems that ever arise with your solar system and with general maintenance. And we can help you with any upgrades you may wish to make down the road.

We can install distribution power system, high-voltage or medium-voltage substations, generators, dedicated circuits, new outlets, new electric wiring, any electric system upgrades, ground outlets, conduits, industrial inverters, auto-transfer switches and all switch gear, cable trays, and more. Basically, anything to do with your solar or regular electric systems is within our area of expertise.

Sun Solar Electric also can help you improve your lighting to make it more energy efficient. We are familiar with all the latest fixtures and systems and where they work best (indoors and out of doors) and what requirements attend them.

And we can also conduct energy audits and testing to help you measure your current level of efficiency and then make recommendations on how you can maximally increase your energy efficiency levels.

Regardless of the size of the project (no job is too big or too small) and the challenges that may be posed, we can install your new solar system, upgrade, maintain, or repair an existing system, or tackle a host of other solar and electric related "auxiliary" services as well.


Buy Your Solar Panels Instead of Just Renting Them

Many solar energy companies only offer you the option to essentially "rent" your solar panels and accompanying equipment. But at Sun Solar Electric, we give you the option to buy and own them.

While in some situations, letting the installation company continue to own the equipment might be preferred (and we certainly allow you that option as well); usually, we arrange a financing and payment plan that allows you to buy and own your solar system within around 5 years' time.

Ownership means that you will reap greater cost savings or even profits from your solar energy production over the long run. And it also empowers you to make all the important decisions regarding your solar system without needing the agreement of a third party.

Most of our clients opt to buy their solar panels instead of rent them, and we see them benefit again and again as a result.


Our Commitment to You

At Sun Solar Electric, we are 100% committed to the best interests of each and every customer we serve.

We understand the goals of our customers, in reducing energy costs of their businesses and of doing their part in reducing our collective carbon footprint, and we share and enable those goals.

Our team of solar energy and other electric services experts have been improving the competitiveness of local Sonoma and San Francisco Bay Area businesses for many years, and we stand ready to assist you as well in meeting all of your commercial solar needs.


Contact Us Today to Get Started on "Going Solar"

At Sun Solar Electric, we take great pride in helping business men and women move their corporate energy consumption further in the direction of renewable sources, like solar power.

If you are interested in installing commercial solar equipment on your corporate building or premises, we can help. We can guide you through the complex process of determining which solar equipment to use, where to place it, how many panels to install, and how best to manage and benefit from your "solar system" for many years down the road.

Contact us today by calling 707-658-2157, and we will help you understand your options and equip you with the information to make an informed decision on how to integrate solar into your commercial energy plan.

Sun Solar Electric is located in Sonoma, CA, and serves communities in the surrounding counties of the SF Bay Area and beyond.