Tag Archives: commercial solar

Solar developers: what you need to know

In 2021, the U.S. installed more solar than ever before – with one out of every 600 U.S. homeowners installing solar each quarter! And impressively, more than half of those additions came from utility-scale projects. The companies that build these projects aren’t the same type of installers you receive quotes from on EnergySage – while they technically install projects like residential solar companies, we in the industry most often refer to them as solar developers.

In this article, we’ll give you a quick overview of solar developers, the role they play in the solar industry, and highlight some of the top solar developers today.

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Should your business invest in energy storage?

Energy storage is a great option for commercial properties looking to cut energy costs and improve reliability. With storage prices decreasing in recent years, state and federal incentives to install storage, and increasingly complex–and pricey!–electricity rate schedules for businesses, there’s never been a better time to install solar and storage at your business. To help you decide whether storage is right for your organization, here’s a rundown of how storage works and the primary reasons that businesses are installing storage.

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Lagunitas understands the benefits of solar for businesses

As the cost of solar continues to fall, more and more homeowners are adding it to their properties – but did you know that commercial and industrial (C&I) businesses are also able to reap the benefits of solar? In fact, the incentives for businesses to go solar are often even better than for homeowners! Lagunitas, a popular California brewery, recently joined the growing list of businesses to go solar and has been enjoying all of the benefits that it has to offer, both from a financial and community perspective. We sat down with the brewery to learn more about their experience going solar. 

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The 2021 solar tax credit for businesses

The best solar incentive is the federal investment tax credit (ITC). This is true both for home- and business owners: by providing you a credit on your taxes equal to 26 percent of the cost of your solar panel system, the ITC provides a significant benefit to anyone looking to add solar. For the most part, the business solar (and storage!) ITC works nearly exactly the same way as it does for homeowners, with a few key nuances. In this article, we’ll explain what you need to know about the ITC for businesses in 2021. 

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Q&A with Sustainable Capital Finance

There are many reasons why commercial and industrial (C&I) solar installations are gaining attention: from saving money, to creating sustainable brand images, to supporting local economies, the benefits are numerous. Even still, with prices ranging from about $100,000 for small businesses to up to $1 million+ for larger businesses, the cost of a C&I system can certainly seem daunting initially. By working with a reputable financier, you can start saving money for your business on day one with a C&I solar system. With that in mind, we conducted a Q&A with Sustainable Capital Finance (SCF) to learn more about their company and their financial offerings. 

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Solar incentives for businesses in 2021

It’s not just homeowners that can take advantage of the benefits of solar: commercial and industrial businesses can also participate in the clean energy revolution by installing solar–and storage!–on their properties. In fact, in many cases, the incentives for businesses to invest in solar are even better than they are for homeowners. If you are a business looking to explore your solar options, here are the key incentives to be aware of in 2021.

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Bonus depreciation: what you need to know

As a business looking to go solar in the US, the best incentives available to you are tax incentives. Between the investment tax credit (ITC)–which works the same for businesses as it does for homeowners–and depreciation benefits at both the state and federal level, you can expect to receive half of what you pay for solar back as tax benefits. While the ITC has been around for a long time, and its success is well documented, bonus depreciation is a newer incentive that can provide nearly as large of a tax benefit as the ITC. 

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What is MACRS? All you need to know for your commercial solar installation

If you’re a homeowner looking to go solar, the incentives you have available to you are pretty straightforward: from net metering to the federal investment tax credit, and to any local utility or government rebates and incentives. Between the incentives and the declining cost of solar, the average homeowner on EnergySage sees a payback period for solar of eight years. Easy! 

If, on the other hand, you’re a business owner considering solar, there are additional tax incentives that help decrease the time it takes for your solar investment to payoff. The most widely-known of them is the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System, also known as MACRS.

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