Could you brighten your profits with large-scale solar power?

Today, large organisations worldwide are facing rising energy costs and intensifying sustainability challenges. Faced with these questions, we’re seeing businesses take action to reduce their bills and protect their profits. But how could you tackle this at the same time as addressing climate change?

Large-scale commercial solar power is a cost-effective way to utilise clean, onsite energy generation. Read on to find out the benefits of this 100% renewable source of power.

Secure impressive cost returns

Does your business rely on grid electricity to power its day-to-day operations? Amidst price volatility, you may have found it difficult to predict the cost of your energy. This not only puts short-term pressure on your bottom line, but makes it harder to forecast your long-term strategy.

On the other hand, large-scale solar power could help you to manage your energy strategy and reduce your costs. All you need to run solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is sunlight – which is renewable and free. With immediate cost savings possible through onsite solar, this can benefit your business in the short term. These savings can also multiply over time, reaching up to 30%. With this budget freed up, you could then reinvest it in other sustainable energy solutions or core operations.

By generating your own power onsite, you can also reduce your reliance on volatile grid supply. This can help you to gain finer control of your spend. Additionally, when correctly operated and maintained, solar panels can last for 25+ years. We use Tier-1 equipment to optimise your panels' performance, reassuring you that they're built to last. With consistent costs over your panels' lifetime, you’ll be able to forecast your long-term budget more accurately. All this can help you to reduce the pressure of unpredictable prices for years to come.

Monetise your underused real estate

The benefits of solar power don’t stop with what your solar panels produce – but also where they operate. You can install solar panels on large roof, ground or car canopy space on your site - and even on water in some cases.

For example, you might have little available land, but do have a large amount of unused roof space on one of your buildings. You could install solar panels to make the most of the space, turning your property into a source of power for your business. The same could work for large pieces of land if you don't have much available roof space, helping you to optimise your estate.

This could work for your site even if you don’t think you get enough sunlight. Solar is works well no matter where you are, and even performs better in colder climates. Our solar experts can help you to identify how you could maximise your space. With their support, you could transform previously unused space into an energy-generating asset, maximising potential return on your assets.

Invest in a sustainable future

For many organisations, decarbonisation is key – but many don’t know where to start. 40% of businesses we surveyed said they didn’t know which technologies to invest in, which was a barrier to reducing their carbon emissions.

Large-scale solar power could help to address this. Generating 100% renewable energy from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels can help you to lower your reliance on carbon intensive supply. This means that you can also reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2.

As such, solar power can help you to boost your sustainability performance. You can reduce your Scope 2 emissions by transforming your supply usage, and lower your reliance on off-site power. So, by utilising large-scale solar power, you can kickstart your pathway to net zero with a 100% renewable source of energy.

Boost your corporate social responsibility

It’s not just businesses who are focusing on decarbonisation. Consumers, too, are increasingly demanding sustainable action from their suppliers and service providers. We’ve found that 69% of sustainable business leaders choose choose supply chain partners based on their ability to reduce their carbon footprint. Furthermore, we know that taking action to decarbonise is likely to help you attract more customers and recruit top talent. So, it's clear that prioritising your sustainable credentials is crucial to business performance. Large-scale solar power could be a great opportunity to do so.

We've seen how going solar can reduce your Scope 2 emissions, but its advantages don't stop here. When you reduce your own emissions, your customers could benefit too. Partnering with you could mean they reduce the carbon in their supply chain, and thus reduce their Scope 3 emissions. This direct benefit can make your organisation an attractive choice to work with - helping you to boost your performance.

And we know that customers are demanding more from their partners on decarbonisation. By generating clean solar energy, you can prove to your customers that you’re taking decarbonisation seriously. This can help you to demonstrate that you’re a credible partner for the long term. So, it’s clear that solar power can help you to improve your performance – and your relationship with your customers – by prioritising action on climate change.

Go solar with no upfront capital

48% of organisations are finding it tough to create a business case for sustainable energy solutions. Budgets are tight, overheads are unpredictable, and your business might not have the capital to invest right now. Fortunately, these constraints are no barrier to going solar with a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

PPAs are a straightforward way to finance large-scale solar power. These typically last between 10 and 25 years - giving you long-term energy security with no need for upfront capital.

If you chose to partner with us, we could offer funding for every aspect of your installation. Our PPAs are funded in-house, keeping the process simple and straightforward. We'd manage design, installation, and lifetime operations and maintenance for your solar panels. Meanwhile, you’d enjoy all the cost and carbon reduction benefits that large-scale solar power can bring to your business.

Over the course of your contract, you’d repay our investment by purchasing the electricity your system generates. You could also have the option to purchase the solar array during your PPA contract. This means you could maximise its full value when your organisation is in a position to do so. So, with no need to divert CAPEX, a PPA could help you to unlock immediate savings without pressurising your bottom line.

Work with us to transform your energy estate

With immediate cost and carbon reductions available, now is a great time to invest in large-scale commercial solar power. Brighten up the future of your energy estate by:

• Reducing your electricity costs by offsetting grid supply
• Stabilising your energy costs by reducing reliance on volatile grid prices
• Monetising underused pieces of real estate by turning them into solar power assets
• Making your business more sustainable with 100% renewable solar power
• Improving your CSR by taking sustainability seriously
• Going solar with no upfront capital investment needed

Centrica Business Solutions has installed over 1,000 bespoke commercial solar projects across the UK. We have 20+ years of solar experience, helping large-scale industrial, commercial and public sector organisations to balance the demands of planet and profit. From design and installation to operations and maintenance lasting up to 25 years, we can support you every step of the way. Our end-to-end solution means that we can handle every aspect of your Solar installation, reducing complication for your business.

Our experts can help you to turn your energy ambitions into reality. We can give you an initial project cost, along with an indicative PPA rate (if applicable). We'll also offer guidance on when you can expect to see savings. And, on top of this, we can demonstrate indicative cashflows over your solar panels' lifetime. So, if you're interested in transforming your business with large-scale solar power, get in touch below.