Path-Q Solar

How should a landlord size solar for a rental property where tenant turnover causes electricity use to vary?

Answer

Use several years or seasons of tenant and common-area data when available, and size from a representative range rather than the highest or lowest tenant's usage. Separate stable building loads from occupancy-driven loads and test how turnover affects expected savings.

Key points

  • Analyze usage by unit type, occupancy, vacancy, season, and major equipment.
  • Use median or otherwise justified representative consumption, with low and high scenarios for turnover.
  • Include common loads separately because they may remain stable regardless of occupancy.
  • Consider whether future tenants, lease terms, or billing arrangements will change the loads the landlord can offset.

What it depends on

  • Turnover rate and occupancy patterns
  • Unit types and tenant behavior
  • Common-area and building-system loads
  • Metering, billing, and solar-benefit structure

Risks and trade-offs

  • Sizing to the highest-use tenant can create excess production after turnover.
  • Sizing to low-occupancy periods can miss normal or future demand.
  • Tenant behavior and billing arrangements may limit the landlord's ability to realize projected savings.

Information you may need

  • Historical consumption by unit and common area
  • Occupancy, vacancy, and turnover records
  • Major building equipment and operating schedules
  • Utility and lease arrangements for assigning solar benefits

Your next step

What to do next

Ask the designer to model representative, high-occupancy, and low-occupancy cases and verify how each case affects system size, savings, and tenant billing.

Path-Q

Find the right next step

Answer a few questions and we’ll narrow your options.

Loading…

Some details may depend on your location, installer, utility, incentives, regulations, or specific property.

SQ00689