As a small business owner, you may already be looking into ways to increase your Net Operating Income by lowering your Operating Expenses.

For various reasons, the two trends we are seeing relating to energy usage in mid-2022 are;

When you're a homeowner who wants to invest in placing solar panels on their roof, you either float the capital upfront or you finance with the solar company you choose to work with. The same options are available for commercial and industrial (C&I) clients who want to install a solar system at their place of business with the addition of a third option known as third-party ownership: an investor may also finance the project and ultimately own the system, while the business or corporation signs a contract to purchase the electricity produced from the solar project instead of owning the equipment. 

Investors in commercial and industrial (C&I) solar projects look for projects that; 

1. Have the right tax credit structure and return profile, while passing ESG investment diversity tests,

2. Have a creditworthy offtaker (either investment grade, or with strong historical financials),

3. Use bankable or "Tier-1" equipment, and

4. Can be built correctly and on time.

The solar industry has been around for several decades, yet standardization across the industry is still a work in progress. Whether you own a business or a commercial property and are considering installing a solar system, or you are further along the process and are now ready to begin, here are a few tips that will help you to make an informed choice when deciding which of the four paths you will follow to install your system: Do it Yourself (DIY), Owner’s Engineer, EPC, or Solar Integrator.

Have you ever thought about adding a solar photovoltaic (PV) system to your property or business, and want to do it yourself (DIY)? There are some great benefits to doing so, but the journey from creating a project concept to having a fully operating system is often fraught with peril. 

Commercial & Industrial (C&I) solar systems often “die on the vine” or get canceled during the development period, which itself can sometimes take years depending on your system size, location, and experience with solar. If you are considering adding a solar system to your business or property, here are 8 tips for avoiding the common pitfalls of a failed solar system installation.