The below should give you a good idea of what's involved in getting solar panels for your business or public building. Any questions though please don't hesitate to call anytime, we'd be more than happy to help.
The first step in the process. We gather as much information as possible to make an informed assessment. We will request your annual site electrical data and determine your roof space and what is achievable in terms of roof area and roof type.
As soon as we have analysed the data and determined the correct system size we will present you with a preliminary proposal.
A preliminary proposal is sufficiently detailed enough to allow us to determine if a solar array is the right solution for your business. We want what is right for you. So this is an important step before either party commits too much time or resource on something that may not progress past the concept stage in the short/medium-term.
If our proposal is within the ballpark, the next step is to meet you on-site to measure and understand the different variables on-site.
Assuming all goes well we will return to you a formal proposal. This proposal will be more detailed than the preliminary proposal and give an indication of what the installation will look like and if there will be interruptions to site operations.
This is final decision point for you. Only after this stage are to committed to anything Once you have agreed to move forward with your project we begin the process for the ESB Networks connection application and planning permission.
We'll guide you through this process. It is fast and straightforwards process, and the SEAI often reply within the same day with your approval. More about SEAI solar grants for business / non-domestic.
We look after all the paperwork here for you. The timeline depends on your system size. For smaller systems we do an NC6 form, and approval normally comes back in 20 working days. For larger systems then it's an NC7 form, and normally ESB networks will come and inspect before approving, so that can be a few months until approval is granted. Either way we look after all the dealings with ESB Networks for you and will keep you updated as applications progress.
For most buildings no planning permission is required. The main exceptions where planning permission may be required is near certain airports / aviation sites, and where you have a listed / protected building.
You can see more information on the government's planning permission exemptions for rooftop solar page.
As soon as the appropriate permissions are agreed upon and in place, we move into the installation phase
We work closely with you and your teams to ensure there is minimal disruption to site operations.
Once your solar PV system has been successfully installed, we will arrange a detailed handover with you and your team. We will go through all the various operating procedures and the online monitoring portal.
One year on from when your system is commissioned we will organize an annual review of your system. We will analyse your system data, give the system a health check and provide you with feedback on performance.
Get in touch to see what going solar could save your business. It's quick, easy, and free.
In our proposals, as well as those from our competitors, you'll find detailed information, including predictions for potential electricity generation and financial savings. Generation, in particular, is required by the SEAI (the people who give out the grants), so you should find that on every quote you get.
We want to clarify the assumptions made so you know the amount of salt you need to add to the various figures.
Although production figures are only ever indicative, you can expect them to provide a reasonable guide. We do have to make a lot of assumptions here, and factors such as weather and shading are two variables that can affect your end output quite a bit. That said, we include a lot in the predictions that are specific to your home — the exact panel type, your location in the country (further north means less sun, we take that into account), the angle of your roof, the direction the panels are facing, typical inverter losses and more. So, they'll never be exact, but they should be in the right ballpark.
These are more speculative. There's a huge amount of assumptions we have to make, and your case may differ very significantly. So take these figures with a good dose of caution, they're notoriously hard to predict with total accuracy.
One of the main issues is usage patterns vs. generation patterns. With smart meters, electricity prices vary hugely throughout the day. Your patterns of generation and usage might mean that you are offsetting a large quantity of peak-rate units — great for you, as you are making a big saving. Your neighbour, with the same system, might be offsetting mainly low-rate units, so their savings could be a fraction of yours.
Here you have the greatest influence through which tariff you are on, and how you use your set-up. A "night boost" unit might be ¼ of the price of a normal day unit. So, someone who opts for those tariffs with their utility supplier, who then uses their battery to charge up every night at those super cheap rates, suddenly gets more than double the financial gain from their battery.
As always, we are only too happy to help — if you have questions about how to set up and use your system for the most financial benefit, please just ask.