In today’s energy landscape, solutions like solar panels, battery storage systems, and backup generators offer major benefits to both the grid and energy users. Commercial and industrial energy users can use these systems to access programs and incentives that will create major energy savings and even create new revenue.
Yet many organizations hesitate to explore these projects, because they are concerned they lack the capital to invest in these solutions upfront. But even for organizations that want to completely avoid spending capital, there are a wide variety of no-cost energy projects available that offer huge benefits.
Why These Projects Are So Valuable
On today’s grid, high demand levels can create cost and reliability issues, leading to challenges for utilities and grid operators. As part of their efforts to manage these challenges, energy providers impose charges to try to shift energy usage away from times of peak demand.
Demand charges, for instance, are one way providers encourage energy flexibility. Demand charges sit in contrast to supply charges on your energy bill. Supply charges are based on how much energy you use, but demand charges are based on when you use that energy. Demand charges are growing as a percentage of energy bills – in some regions, summer demand charges alone can represent 40% of annual energy spend. We explore this topic more deeply in our on-demand webinar with Smart Energy Decisions on no-cost energy projects.
Solar + Storage, Backup Generators, and More
Demand charges are just one reason why energy solutions that allow you to be flexible are so valuable. Consider solar + storage, for instance, which enables flexibility in a variety of ways -- solar often allows you to use less energy from the grid during times of peak demand, while storage allows you to charge your battery when energy on the grid is cheap, then discharge and use that energy when energy is expensive.
These sorts of solutions can enable major savings and can even generate new revenue for businesses. And while many businesses worry about upfront spend, many of these projects require no capital at all.
In our recent webinar with Smart Energy Decisions, “No Capital Needed: A Guide to No-Cost Energy Projects,” we dive deeper into this topic and walk through the reasons for the value of energy flexibility, the different financing available for no-cost projects, case studies of existing projects, and more. Watch our webinar now to find out more about demand charges, energy flexibility, solar-plus-storage, and more.
