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Would it be possible to use solar panels on the roof of a large 5 story building that houses a non-profit?

Building is 5 stories high and roof gets sun 24 hours--no shade, unless clouds. The non-profit is experiencing $$ problems--was just kind of brainstorming. Any $$incentives to businesses/non-profits for solar power?? Is it even possible to put panels on the roof? It's flat and the roof is 3 years old, but the building itself is 100 years old. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!

Public Comments

  1. The initial cost of the solar panels will eclipse any savings in electrical service costs for appx 15 years. A HOUSE's solar system to get it off the electrical grid would cost in the range of 20,000 to $30,000 The 5 story building would probably need $$250,00 OR MORE worth of equipment. If they are already strapeed for cash flow.... solar won't solve it.
  2. Initial costs are high, also depends on the roof area available for the solar panels mounting that will decide the amount of electricity produced. If the net consumption of electricity is lesser than that produced by solar panels then you can end up selling the excess power to the utilities and earn some revenue out of it.
  3. I do not recommend the use of solar photovoltaics for the purpose of making money. Solar photovoltaics are a very expensive way to generate electricity. You cannot sell the electricity for anywhere as much money as it cost to make it.
  4. i don't know the costs of solar, but the other people sound like they know what they are talking about. HOWEVER - companies pay lots of money for cell towers and relays. And they like to put them on tall buildings. I don't know who to call to get more info, but that would probably be more money, faster.
  5. Also, just to point out... no where on Earth gets 24 hours of Sun( there is this thing called Night-time). And even on the equator you don't even get 12 hours of PEAK solar power producing time (peak solar production is when the sun is at a right angle to the cells and shortest distance from the sun). Like mentioned above solar is not all that efficient. If you are in need of real $$ consider down-sizing some of the space being used and rent out a floor or rooms in the building to pay for building costs. Space for Offices, parties, or meetings are always in demand.
  6. NO, unless you could get the equipment donated. SOLAR POWER IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE WHERE ELECTRICITY IS AVAILABLE from normal sources in the US. The average cost of electricity in the US is about 10 cents per KWH. Solar power cost will be about 40 cents or more, unless subsidies or freebies are available. DON"T BELIEVE THE MEDIA AND "ENVIRONMENTALISTS". They either do not know the facts, or they are liars.
  7. It may be possible to put solar panels on the rook of the building, but only a roof inspection will really confirm the reality. There may not be enough structural support or other factors to consider. The cost of installing solar systems can be prohibitive if taken on entirely. However, a passive solar water heater can be built by the average licensed handyman (if he has plans and some plumbing experience) with recycled and scrap parts. This could reduce the cost of water heating for the building (if this non-profit is housing disadvantaged people and providing showers this might make a small difference in your finances). You will need to work with the local permits department to make sure you are following all codes!!!!!! If you can get a local solar dealer to donate the panels (hmn, big media coverage for the dealer as a result?) and have a fund raiser to pay for the costs of installation, this might get you your panels at no cost. But the $$ issues most likely will not be entirely solved by reducing or eliminating the electric bill. Try to find a person in your local area who is good with cash flow for organizations who also can solve problems outside of the box.
  8. It depends on how much sunlight the area receives and the power consumption. From http://altenergy.in/solarcell.html
  9. Solar panels certainly won't solve your $$ problems. They are very expensive for the power produced as a discounted flow calculation would indicate. In fact if you put the money necessary for the installation in a bank you could pay your normal electricity supplier with the interest and be left with some over.
  10. Have your people turn lights off when they aren't using them. One of the biggest wastes of electricity in businesses is huge rooms and hallways with obcene amounts of lights on for no reason at all. Open the windows at the ends of halls and kill half the lights. Turn the lights off in bathrooms when nobody is in there. Have skylights installed in the upper floor and possibly the sky tubes to light lower floors and hallways so you don't even have to worry about lighting most of the day. Buy small floor fans for the employees in offices that'll need them, install ceiling fans above cubicle groups and let the a/c temp up 5 or 6 degrees. Consolidate employees to work together in the larger innermost rooms you can and stop cooling the other rooms or have the employees that get cold easy work to the outside and that don't on the inside and raise cooling temp a few degrees. A 100 year old building probably loses alot of cooling through walls and windows so you'd see a big benifit reducing that loss and remember that each flourescent lighting fixture in your office (normal 4 tube 2'x4' fixture) uses between 120 and 240 watts of power each. That can add up really quick.