Solar Case Study: Large Dental Office

A large dental office located in Northern California realized that it would be highly advantageous to go solar because of their exorbitant PG&E bills. They had the right location and sunlight, but there was a problem. They needed a new roof.  Because of this, they thought they would have to postpone solar installation for a couple of years as they believed they could not afford to replace the roof and go solar at the same time. The challenge was stopping this dental office from saving hundreds of dollars a month on their power bill and needing a solution fast.

The Challenge

How could they afford to do both without waiting a significant amount of time in between? Additionally, there was not sufficient space on the roof of their building to install enough photovoltaic panels to offset the majority of their PG&E bill. Without the right foundation, the dental office could not support the style of solar required for their needs.

The Solar Solution

DC Solar Electric proposed that, in addition to installing a system on their roof, panels could be installed on a carport structure. Not only would this provide enough power to meet their needs, but it would also give a shaded car park for staff and guests.

Based on this solution, we provided a quote laying out the tax incentives, monthly payment amount with specialized financing, and estimated cost of reduced PG&E bills.  The tax incentives for their system included a Federal Tax Credit of $56,956, State (CA) 10-yr Depreciation of $17,525, and Federal 100% Bonus Depreciation of $40,023. This amounted to a savings of $114,504. That decreased the cost of their solar system by 52%!  In addition, they would save nearly $1m over a 25-year period.

With this data, the dental office realized that going solar at the same time as installing their new roof was not only possible, but they would actually be saving money.

The Results

The new 66,725W-DC solar system is expected to generate 89,604 kWh (kilowatt hours) every year, which will offset 100% of the business’s annual electrical demand. By reducing this business expense, the dental office’s revenue increases while decreasing their environmental footprint.

Solar Specifications

  • Electricity Now Supplied by Solar:  100%
  • System Size:  66,725W
  • Solar Panels:  157 Qcell 425w panels made in America
  • Inverter: Solar Edge Technologies Inverters SE43.105, grid tiered

Don’t Believe the Myths

There is a common misconception that going solar is simply too expensive. Yet, as PG&E commercial rates increase at a rate of about 7% per year, the short and long term benefits of solar are just too great to ignore. Don’t buy into the solar myth, contact us today for your free quote.

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