Path-Q Solar

What should a small business owner gather before requesting a solar proposal?

Answer

Gather detailed utility bills and interval data, operating schedules, property and roof information, electrical details, ownership authority, and planned changes so installers can size and price the project against realistic business conditions.

Key points

  • Provide bills and interval data covering seasonal variation, demand charges if applicable, and different operating periods.
  • Document business hours, production schedules, weekend use, shutdowns, expansion plans, and major equipment loads.
  • Gather roof age and condition, structural records, site plans, electrical-service information, and available equipment space.
  • Clarify whether the building is owned or leased and who controls the roof, electrical service, and capital improvements.
  • Ask proposals to identify production, demand effects, operations during outages, maintenance, and assumptions separately.

What it depends on

  • Load profile, operating schedule, and future business expansion
  • Roof, structural, electrical, and site conditions
  • Building ownership, lease rights, and access
  • Financing, insurance, utility, tax, and permitting requirements

Risks and trade-offs

  • Using only monthly bills can miss demand patterns and seasonal operating changes.
  • A system sized for current operations may be undersized or oversized after expansion, relocation, or schedule changes.
  • Business interruptions, roof work, and electrical upgrades can materially affect project cost and timing.

Information you may need

  • Utility bills and interval or demand data
  • Operating and expansion plans
  • Roof, structural, electrical, property, lease, and insurance records
  • Business objectives such as savings, backup, emissions reduction, or predictable costs

Your next step

What to do next

Assemble a proposal packet and ask several installers to state their load assumptions, system size, production, demand impacts, project exclusions, and operating risks in comparable formats.

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