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The Benefits of Solar Power in the Office

An office powered by solar energy comes with a number of benefits. Not only will the cost of your energy bill drop substantially, you’ll also be reducing your business’s carbon footprint.

Workers using solar powered panelsImage by Freepik

These two points alone are enough of a selling point, but they barely even scratch the surface. Here, we look at just how substantial the benefit of solar powered energy really is.

Solar Powered Energy in Australia

Regardless of the time of year, Australia is always baking under the relentless sun. However, our claim as the ‘sunburnt country’ does come in handy when it comes to harnessing the sun’s solar efficiencies. In Australia, we experience more solar radiation per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world. While this is bad news for anyone with skin that burns easily, it’s great news for both the solar industry and businesses that are ready to start enjoying the countless benefits associated with solar powered buildings.

Each year, the sun produces 10,000 times the amount of energy that Australians consume. Thanks to new and innovative solar powered technologies, we’re now able to harness this energy better than ever before. Solar panels allow us to put this substantial, renewable energy source to good use.

Harnessing Australia’s Solar Energy

 Across the country, solar electricity panels are being used to capture the sun’s energy and convert it into usable electricity that can be used to power appliances around the home or workplace. Imagine if all the computers, lights and kitchen appliances in your office could be powered solely by the sun’s energy.

Well, if you install solar panels they will be comprised of photovoltaic (PV) cells and will be mounted on your building’s roof and oriented in a way that maximises their exposure to the sun’s rays. When the sun hits them they will automatically begin to generate electricity, which will be converted into useable energy with an inverter.

power your office with the sun

 

The sun’s energy can also be used to warm your water and heat your building. In a residential environment, heating water can account for roughly one-third of a typical home’s electricity bill. In an office or warehouse environment, this can be more or less, depending on the resources being utilised. Financial benefits aside, by using a solar heated hot water system, you’ll also be reducing the amount of power that’s drawn from Australia’s electrical grids, which helps to reduce the ever-increasing strain put on our electrical grids.

Over the past decade, awareness of these benefits has increased, with more than 800,000 Australian buildings utilising solar powered heating and hot water systems.

The Financial Benefits of Solar Powered Offices

When you incorporate solar panels into your office’s design, financial benefits will materialise over time. Despite the substantial upfront costs associated with switching your office over from traditional power to solar energy, your long-term savings will far outweigh the initial set-up costs. It’s worth looking at the up-front expenditure as an investment, as you’re essentially investing in the long-term energy-efficiency of your business, and, over time, you will make back the start-up costs, plus more.

Industrial buildings emitting gases

Some of the financial benefits are obvious, some not as much.

Firstly, as you create your own energy, you will use less energy from the grid and will enjoy the associated savings. Secondly, depending on what state or territory your business is operating from, if you collect more solar energy than you actually use, the excess electricity could potentially be sold back to the grid.

It can also be argued that a solar power investment will protect your business from any future energy price hikes, especially since the cost of gas and electricity is expected to rise in the coming years as a result of limitations on coal, oil, and gas resources. By investing in solar panels, you’ll be eliminating your businesses dependence on fossil fuels as well as traditional energy providers.

Finally, if you own the building you’re operating out of, solar panels can help increase the market value of your property, which could prove beneficial if you decide to sell the building further down the track.

Extra Solar Power Benefits

 Solar power is a completely clean and renewable energy source. Plus, when in operation, solar panels don’t release any greenhouse gases, so they don’t add to our rising air pollution levels.

Keep In Mind

There are a number of potential financial benefits associated with the introduction of solar panels in commercial and residential settings; however, the efficiency of your system will depend on the type of panels you’ve installed, the size of the system and where your property is located.

How much power your office uses will also influence how efficient your solar system is, and how reliant you can be on the energy your panels produce.

Also make sure you check out the relevant government initiatives and legislation in your area, as these can vary.

Contact DAVIDSON Projects today, – we don’t have any affiliation with any solar power companies but we can help with all of your Perth office fitout needs.

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