WHY GO SOLAR?
Have you been looking for a way to lower skyrocketing utility bills? Or perhaps you want to reduce your carbon footprint? Or maybe your customers have started asking, "what steps are you taking to become a green business?" Whatever the reason, IES is here to help you figure out how solar energy can benefit your business by providing positive cash flow and reducing your impact on the planet.

SIZING A SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEM
Many factors must be considered when sizing a photovoltaic system for your business. Do you know what your business' annual electrical consumption is? Around Santa Cruz you could expect a 10 kilowatt PV system to produce about 14,000 kilowatt-hours of energy in a year so if your annual consumption is 42,000 kilowatt-hours, a 30kW system could cover your entire electrical usage. It can be very cost-effective to install a system that “shaves” the highest tiers of energy charges off your bill. IES has installed a majority of the commercial systems in the Santa Cruz/ Monterey Bay Area, ranging in size from 10 to over 100 kilowatts. Your IES solar consultant will work with you to design a system that will match your energy needs and your budget.

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
State rebates and Federal tax credits can fund up to 80% of the cost of your commercial solar electric system, bringing your payback time down to as little as 5 years.. There are different incentives available for non-profit and government organizations.

FINANCING
Many financial organizations are offering options for financing your investment in Solar Energy. Most of these financing plans have the goal of producing positive cash flow:after going solar your combined loan/lease payment plus your energy bills should be lower than your current energy bills. Power Purchase Agreements (PPA´s) are a great way to go for organizations that do not have the funding but want to go solar. A PPA is an agreement with an outside investor that is willing to buy the system, place it on the roof and sell the electricity at a reduced rate to the host customer. Please check with us for the latest information on loans, leasing and power purchase agreements.

HOW MUCH WILL IT SAVE ME IN UTILITY COSTS?
Every Kilowatt hour (Kwhr) generated by your system is a Kilowatt hour that you do not have to buy from the utility. Based on typical offset rates of $.15 per kWhr, a typical 30,000 Watt solar electric system, producing 42,000 kWhr/year will generate annual cost savings of over $7,000. When analyzing your investment it is important to remember that this savings is tax-free money and also that utility rates have historically risen an average of 6% annually over the last 30 years. Talk to us about a detailed financial analysis for your situation.