Why Companies With Internal Energy Teams Should Still Work With a Solar Developer

As companies heed the call to take climate change seriously, more and more of them are exploring renewable energy solutions such as solar to reduce their carbon footprint in addition to lowering energy costs. While an organization’s internal energy team plays a role in initiating such projects, they can capture significant financial and operational opportunities when choosing to work with an experienced developer. Here’s a rundown of the added value a partner like PowerFlex can bring.

Solar Incentive Expertise

Attractive financial incentives and favorable energy policies have been a huge driver of solar growth over the years. From the solar Investment Tax Credit to a host of benefits on the state and local utility levels — including Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) programs, net metering, and more — there are many lucrative opportunities depending on the project location. These incentives are ever evolving and often change year to year. That’s why it’s so important to work collaboratively with a developer that actively monitors existing incentives for policy changes that could impact a project's economics, and stays up-to-date on new incentives as they become available. This is especially important for organizations with multiple national locations, as a developer can make recommendations as to which sites are or will become the most economically viable for solar projects. A developer also plays an active role in applying for incentives and tracking the performance once your solar system is operational and generating power, saving your energy team valuable time and resources.

Project Engineering

A solar system installation is a specialized job that requires deep knowledge of DC current and wiring, making it different from HVAC work and other types of projects that you might enlist an electrician to tackle. At PowerFlex, our team of highly skilled and certified solar energy engineers are at your service, bringing with them an intimate understanding of not only solar technology but also all of the other important aspects of completing a seamless solar installation. Leveraging their years of experience and relationships with local utilities and AHJs, our engineers are adept at navigating the complex demands of the installation process including applying for and securing necessary permits, conforming to electrical and fire codes, and facilitating critical project steps, such as gaining the permission to operate and interconnecting the solar system with the utility power grid. (Learn more about these steps and what they mean in our Glossary of Key Solar Terms blog post.)

Access to Premium Components

PowerFlex procures hundreds of megawatts of equipment every year directly from trusted manufacturers, and at competitive prices that are often 20 to 30% lower than what distributors charge, allowing us to pass the savings onto our clients. Solar systems are durable and long lasting with a warrantied lifespan of 25 years — and properly maintained systems have been known to remain in operation for even longer. This makes for an excellent long-term investment, seeing as most system owners recoup the cost of installation within five years or less with the money they save on energy procurement plus revenue through available incentives. What’s more, PowerFlex helps protect your investment with 24/7 operations management, facilitating everything from routine maintenance to the rare mechanical repair.

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(Learn more about commercial solar financing options if you are exploring a renewable energy transition.)

A Full Suite of Integrated Solutions

Working with a one-stop shop such as PowerFlex allows you to take full advantage of additional renewable energy options that seamlessly integrate with solar to maximize energy reliability and financial savings. Adding battery storage to a solar system allows our customers to hedge against rising energy costs more effectively by enabling a facility to run on stored solar energy during times of day when utility companies tend to charge the most for electricity. And by implementing microgrid technology, enough energy can be generated locally at your facility to independently power its operations even during a full utility blackout — reducing your reliance on the grid even further. Best of all, every component is coordinated by our next-generation energy management system that tracks and optimizes performance in real time. (Read more about how our product offerings work together here.)

If you’re considering solar for your organization, finding the right developer is a key step for success. PowerFlex can work together with your internal energy team to design and build a system that meets your needs, and execute the entire project effectively and efficiently. Why wait? You can start by contacting us right now to set up a free consultation.