Key Factors That Impact the Price of Solar Systems for Philippine Companies
In the Philippines, solar installations have become a major investment for companies that are looking for sustainability initiatives and optimizations in their operating costs. Many businesses have set their eyes on joining the green revolution as the front runner and the most accessible of the RE options is solar. In this article, we will discuss a few things that can affect your investment.
System Size and Energy Needs
Before investing in a solar installation, a business needs to investigate their energy needs. Take a look at your energy consumption. Solar is a great investment for companies that have the majority of their operations during the day with little to no consumption at night. This is because when you have a proper solar installation, it will be able to cover for the majority of your day-time energy consumption.
By understanding your energy needs, you gain the means to identify the right system size for you. The right system size essentially means a solar installation that generates roughly the same amount of energy as you consume. These will be the solar installations that will have the best value-for-money, the shortest payback period, and the fastets return-on-investment.
Oversized solar installations significantly increases the initial capital needed to install the system, at the same time it also increases the years it will take for the solar installation to pay for itself.
Your energy needs identify what size solar installation you need which will then provide you with a good estimate of how much the system will cost. But aside from the pre-construction information, you also need to consider how much installation, permitting costs and long-term maintenance will affect the cost of your investment.
Materials, Equipment, and Maintenance Costs
Once you have the system size at the ready, you now have to look at the project specifics. This includes the brand of solar panels you will get, the solar inverter that will be used. And other important equipment such cables (AC and DC wires), the mounting structures, protective devices, conduits and many more. All of these will add up to your initial cost, and although they should be included when you consult a solar provider in the Philippines, it’s best to do your own research on what brands they use for their installations.
Once you’re engaged with a solar company, it’s important to discuss maintenance as well. Solar facilities, when properly installed, hardly need any maintenance at all. Usually, once a year checkup and cleaning is enough to keep a system performing at optimum capacity. If you want to have it maintained yearly or bi-yearly, consult with your solar provider and see if it can be added to the cost of your solar system.
A big chunk of the cost of a solar installation depends on the materials and equipment that will be used. Don’t compromise the durability and safety of your installation by using low-end materials for the sake of saving money. A strong foundation of raw materials will ultimately lead to a quality solar installation.
Regulatory and Compliance Documents
Solar panel systems are not something that you can just plug in and use whenever you feel like it. There are standards and regulations that must be complied with to officialize a solar installation. Documents with the Distribution Utility (DU) or Electric Cooperatives (EC), Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy (for C&I customers), and your local government units are needed for the solar installation to be fully and legally energized. Compliances with the standards and processing of these documents have their accompanying costs so this should be something that you look out for when discussing with your solar providers.
MSpectrum provides an end-to-end service where everything mentioned in this article is included—even the processing of the legal documents involved. We ensure that you, as a customer, have a hassle free experience as we complete your solar requirement.
Conclusion
There are three key factors that affect the cost of solar, the system size, the materials used, and the compliance documents after the installation. These are the primary items that can have a big impact on your initial investment. The first two are things that you have control over, while the last one is a required expense. To get the best solar installation for you, be sure to balance costs with quality for the items you can influence, or consult a trusted solar solutions provider like MSpectrum for all your solar needs!
For all your solar service needs, choose wisely. Choose MSpectrum, your end-to-end solar solutions provider!
MSpectrum offers tailor-fit solutions for industrial, commercial, and residential customers through an in-depth understanding of energy consumption behaviors and strategic partnerships with world-class technology partners.
Backed by Meralco’s energy expertise and proven safety track record, the renewable energy company has been providing services and solutions to help customers reduce their costs while taking part in saving the planet.
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