From Cost Savings to Corporate Responsibility: Why Businesses Should Go Solar
In the world of sustainability, much of the conversation revolves around how independent households can increase efficiency and reduce their energy bills, particularly when discussing solar power. However, as any hot-blooded business owner ought to know, saving money should always be in the back of your head if you want to increase margins, and one of the best ways to do this is by reducing the amount of energy you use.
Contents
- You Might Be Surprised at the Potential Savings
- Solar Energy Enhances Corporate Sustainability Practices
- Tax Incentives for Solar Energy Investment Might Exist in Your Operational Location
- You Can Boost Your Brand Reputation
- The Long-Term Financial Benefits of Solar Far Outweigh the Initial Costs
- Solar Energy Increases Property Value
- Employee Satisfaction from Eco-Friendly Initiatives
There are lots of ways you can go about this act, but perhaps the best way is by investing in sustainable energy solutions that will help your company to reduce the amount of energy you are sucking in from the grid, as well as provide you with a decent dollop of good PR (if you manage to market the fact you’re going down this route, effectively). Let’s explore how solar power can help you achieve all of these points and more in this post and hopefully convince you that solar is the way to go.
You Might Be Surprised at the Potential Savings
When any organization considers a potential investment, the idea is to make money rather than lose money. Obviously, there are nuances, such as the time it takes to see any sort of tangible ROI, but the fact remains that there really isn’t much point in spending money if it won’t yield meaningful results. Regarding solar power, the argument against it is often that it only works in certain areas rich in sunlight and a few cloudy days.
However, according to this report, the solar potential is often much greater than you might think, even in a country like Scotland, which isn’t exactly known for its prolonged summer months. You can read more at Innasol, but the gist is that specific areas will yield more outstanding results. The main thrust is that with a highly efficient solar array, you can generate vast amounts of power regardless of where you’re located.
It is this latent potential that can turn an initially eye-watering investment into something actually worthwhile, particularly if researched thoroughly and installed by a reputable solar company. In fact, the latter point is vital if you want to ensure that you receive the most energy from the number of panels you place on or around your office complex.
Solar Energy Enhances Corporate Sustainability Practices
We’ve all heard of ESG (Environmental, Social, And Governance) standards, and installing solar and other renewable energy systems can go a long way in helping your company become part of what is currently an incredible way to attract outside investment from organizations and retail investors who look specifically for businesses that adhere to ESG standards. It can boost your standing among investors who care about the environment and help you to build a better business by attracting a certain caliber of people to your cause.
Tax Incentives for Solar Energy Investment Might Exist in Your Operational Location
We all want to reduce our tax burden, and in some instances, you might be able to claim a tax break if you choose to go down the renewable path. Whether you actually receive anything or how much of a break you’ll get is highly dependent on where you operate from, but most developed nations will have something on the books that enables companies that take the environment seriously to tap into.
You won’t cover the cost of installing the panels, but if you have already been considering reducing your energy bills by way of renewables, you may as well dig a little deeper into any tax benefits and take full advantage of them.
You Can Boost Your Brand Reputation
If there is something that the general public really likes, it’s when an organization does something to reduce its environmental footprint. Now, you have to tread carefully here as any perceived “greenwashing” can dramatically backfire on you, but if you are genuine about installing a solar system to reduce your fossil fuel usage and market the fact effectively, you can gain some serious PR brownie points.
The best way to tap into this advantage is to carefully post about the initiative via your social media and email channels to boost awareness and also to inform local news agencies via a press release that espouses your newly found values and commitment to reducing your dependence on traditional means of energy consumption.
The Long-Term Financial Benefits of Solar Far Outweigh the Initial Costs
It’s fair to say that if you go full-throttle and invest a significant amount into installing these solutions, the upfront costs can be pretty high. In fact, you may even need to adjust your budget to take into account the upfront cost, as it will almost certainly show up on your financial reports as a significant expense.
However, when it comes to this kind of thing, you need to have a long-term point of view that reaches out over multiple decades. When you do this, you will see how valuable this investment can be and how much you will ultimately save throughout this time period. Moreover, you will make your business somewhat immune to an increasingly unstable world where energy is frequently being used as a weapon, and any hint of yet another global conflict can cause energy prices to shoot up exponentially.
Solar Energy Increases Property Value
This point is only really of value if you happen to own your own business premises, but if you do, you will massively boost the value of the property/ properties you’ve installed the solar systems on. In some cases, this boost in value could outmatch the money you put into the setup and installation. If the time comes to sell and move elsewhere for whatever reason, you will gain the increased value of the property, plus the money you have saved over the course of harnessing the power of the sun rather than fossil fuels.
Employee Satisfaction from Eco-Friendly Initiatives
Some businesses need to hire a specific type of individual who has a set of values that perfectly align with what you’re trying to achieve. If you operate a company that attracts these people, you will be better positioned to increase employee morale via this initiative, as well as make your business a more desirable place to work, thereby attracting more and better talent to your team.
Installing solar panels at your business has too many advantages to list in one simple article. However, the ones mentioned here should give you enough reasons to take the plunge and look a bit more deeply into getting them installed.