Commercial Solar panels offer a fantastic addition to any business be it small or large. The obvious benefits of such an acquisition are:
• Reduced energy bills
• Prominent, public facing, projection of your green values
• Reduced CO2 output resulting in improved carbon accounting figures
• Generation of income from unused power
• For larger business solar panel and commercial rooftops installations you can achieve a reasonable return on investment, even after the FIT cuts (especially if you consume a significant amount of electricity during daylight hours)
• Stabilise electric supply and reduce cooling overheads in summer.
Renewables Levy Exemption Certificates
Another way of saving money with renewable technology for businesses is to obtain a Renewables Levy Exemption Certificate (Renewables LEC).
Renewables LECs bypass the need to pay the Climate Change Levy (CCL), which is a tax levied on energy products (electricity, natural gas, LPG, coal) used in businesses. Businesses which use these energy sources currently pay the CCL at a rate of £5.24/MWh used.
If you use the energy produced by your commercial solar panel array (provided that the system capacity is between 50kW and 5MW) in your business, you may be eligible for an LEC, saving you the £5.24/MWh CCL. It is also possible to sell the certificates back to energy suppliers.
Charities and non-business organisations do not need to pay the Climate Change Levy.
More information on LECs is available on the Ofgem website:
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/cclrenexem/Pages/CCLRenewablesExemption.aspx