Commercial & Industrial (C&I)

Demand charges, time-of-use (TOU) rates, plummeting solar costs and changing utility business models make today, a very challenging time for most C&I customers.

Consider the following:

• A large portion of the typical C&I electricity bill is the demand charge. The amount of the charge is not tied to how much electricity you used; instead, the demand charge is calculated based on the highest average demand in any 15-minute period during the month.
• Deploying diesel generators for back-up power is expensive and hard to justify based on the frequency of use.
• Utilities are adjusting TOU rates to increase power rates when you use it most.
• Some utilities are starting programs that will pay behind the meter batteries to provide ancillary services to the grid.
• The price-per-unit of solar electricity is less than the price you would pay for grid power in most of the country.

Locating a cost-effective storage system (with or without solar) at each facility creates value in many ways:

• Minimize demand charges by letting the battery supply the surging demand.
• Ensure security of energy supply by using the battery instead of a generator.
• Optimizate your TOU bill by buying electricity to displace expensive electricity later.
• Potentially receive utility payments for ancillary services.
• With solar, increase the percentage of the system output that you self-consume.
• With solar, qualify for a 30% federal tax credit.