Path-Q Solar

When should a landlord obtain tenant electricity data before sizing solar for a rental property?

Answer

Obtain tenant electricity data before sizing solar when tenants pay their own bills, loads vary substantially, multiple units or meters are involved, or the landlord is considering shared or common-area benefits. If the landlord pays all electricity under a stable account, existing billing data may be sufficient for an initial design, but future occupancy and load changes should still be considered.

Key points

  • Determine who pays each meter and which loads the proposed system would serve.
  • Use representative data across seasons and occupancy patterns where possible.
  • Address tenant consent, privacy, data access, and lease provisions before requesting account information.
  • Separate owner-controlled common loads from tenant-controlled loads.

What it depends on

  • Meter configuration and billing responsibility
  • Tenant consent and data availability
  • Occupancy, turnover, and operating patterns
  • Allocation of solar benefits and costs

Risks and trade-offs

  • Sizing from common-area data alone may miss substantial tenant consumption.
  • Tenant load data may be unavailable, incomplete, or not representative of future occupancy.
  • Collecting or using data without proper permission can create privacy or contractual issues.
  • A technically suitable system may not align with how costs and benefits are allocated.

Information you may need

  • Meter list and billing responsibility
  • Tenant and common-area consumption data
  • Lease provisions and consent requirements
  • Expected occupancy and future building loads

Your next step

What to do next

Map meters to loads and obtain authorized, representative consumption data before requesting a final system size.

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