If, like most businesses, you’ve been hit with a 30, 40 or even 50% increase in the cost of electricity, you’re probably looking at the various ways you can reduce your electricity consumption.
Step 1 - Preliminary Proposal
The first step on the journey is to establish whether or not a solar PV system meets the short, medium and long-term goals of the business.
In order to understand this - without either party committing too much time - we will produce a preliminary proposal based on some conservative assumptions for the site as well as some electricity data supplied by the business.
A preliminary proposal will cover the approximate system size, layout (and why), likely cost, payback and, most importantly, carbon reduction.
Step 2 - Grid Application
After some internal deliberation, the next step will be to apply to your local District Network Operator (DNO) and request permission to connect your proposed array to their network.
Owing to the fact the grid have the right to veto the project - either via flat no or via uneconomical charges to connect - it’s advisable to tackle this element of the project early on.
The grid have up to 65 working days in which to issue their response to an application.
One of our previous blogs, 'No Export, No Problem’ explores this topic in more detail.
Step 3 - Structural/Land and Site Surveys
After some further internal deliberation, next up is the structural/ground survey as well as a site survey.
Solar panels need to stay anchored to the building or land for over 25 years so it’s important that they can withstand the weight of the equipment plus everything that mother nature can throw at it.
It’s also important for us to measure all of the site variables so that our formal proposal provides all of the detail needed so that you can make an informed decision on whether or not to proceed with the project.
A site visit to carry out the structural survey plus the site survey will take 6 weeks to arrange, carry out and then interpret the data collected.
Step 4 - Formal Proposal
At this point - roughly 6 months from starting the process - we will be in a position to provide a formal proposal with fixed costs.
Our formal proposal will also cover likely site disruption (if any), inverter locations and delivery timescales.
Step 5 - Permitted Development/Planning Permission
After some further, final, deliberation – as well as finalising the funding of the project – we will agree and sign commercial terms.
With this we will set the wheels in motion on the permitted development/planning permissions
Timescales here vary but 8 weeks to draft, submit and secure the correct permissions is typical.
Step 6 - Project Delivery
As soon as the correct permissions are in place from the local council, we will progress to the final phase of this journey - project delivery.
Clearly timescales are subject to system size, complexity and the weather but most projects are delivered within 4 - 8 weeks, with bigger projects taking up to 12 weeks.
