Commercial Solar
Frequently Asked Questions
Lock in Your Energy
Work with Wisconsin's #1 solar installer. Our team is technically astute and focuses on integrity, honesty, and communication throughout your project.
Solar ROI Factors
Non-Profit Status
Non-profits and non-taxable entities now have the option of Direct Pay of their ITC.
ITC rules are changing in the coming years. Visit our financial incentives page to learn more.
Utility Policy & Rates
Utility policy is the single most important factor for your business’s ROI for solar. Every utility has different rate structures that influence how you pay for your energy.
Solar can influence these rates in a lot of different ways: either shaving your demand charges or dropping you into an entirely new rate structure. Arch comes in to establish your utility rate options and how solar can impact energy management.
Tax Liability
If your business or organization does not have the tax liability to cover the incentivized tax credit of the system cost, then you will not be able to take advantage of that benefit. This could result in a longer ROI.
Roof vs Ground Mount
Roof Mount
Roof-mounted solar is often the cheaper and easier option from a business perspective because it uses previously unused space. Height, roof pitch, and roof material can all have an impact on the difficulty of installation and corresponding cost.
Ground Mount
A ground mount could be a simpler install and offer more flexibility in array configuration, which can increase ROI. However, distance from the interconnection point (usually a CT cabinet or Transformer), grading concerns, and trenching costs can all elongate your ROI.
Roof Type & Material
There are many roof variables that impact costs. Roof access, ease of movement, safety, and height to name a few.
A flat roof with ample room to move and easy access via a lift to bring up materials is going to be cheaper than a metal pitched roof with no access points to transport materials.
Permitting & Interconnection Fees
Every municipality will have a different permitting process and associated costs that can vary dramatically. Similarly, each utility has a different process for connecting solar to their energy grid, which can also come with a wide variation in costs.
Electrical Service
Solar energy systems need to connect to your existing electrical service.
Your ROI can be impacted by how difficult this interconnection is and if there needs to be any upgrades before the solar can be connected.
Sizing & Targets
What your business is looking to achieve with solar is a key factor in ROI. Some businesses are looking to meet sustainability requirements and therefore have a specific offset in mind.
Some companies are looking for a marketing value add. Others may have serious energy consumption that they need to find a solution for.
Each of these different scenarios would have a different system design and sizing process.
Environmental Considerations
If there needs to be substantial grading or earthworks done as a part of your project that can add a significant cost to your project that is not related to the solar directly.
Your installation partner should work with you to assess if there are any local ordinances or environmental factors that would require such work for a solar project to take place.
The Best in the Midwest
Solar for Midwest Business
Every business, whether it’s a local store, school district, or a manufacturer, is looking for ways to decrease their operational costs while promoting clean, renewable sources of energy.
As one of the top commercial solar installers in Milwaukee, WI, for over 20 years, Arch Solar has installed and maintained solar power systems for businesses in Wisconsin and across the country.
We’re focused on providing turn-key solar systems built for reliability and quality, no matter the industry.
Feasibility Analysis
When it comes to choosing commercial solar installers in Milwaukee, WI, and the surrounding areas, Arch Solar is your number one choice. When you share your site location, utility bills, and objectives, we help you understand how solar can meet your goals.
Conceptual Design
Based on your energy objectives, a combination of desktop and onsite analysis, our conceptual design will propose a practical and financial overview.
Permitting & Detailed Design
Advancing the system design to prepare permitted deliverables includes engineering (electrical, civil, and structural) best practices, analytical tools, and system performance modeling programs.
Marketing opportunities are easy to include, as aerial imagery offers a unique perspective to showcase your property from the sky.
Infrared Inspections
Traditional PV System inspections and troubleshooting involve manually examining each panel or string by hand. Aerial inspections via drone are efficient and cost effective, avoiding unnecessary labor hours spent on large utility sites and the risks associated with sending maintenance teams to rooftop inspections.
Procurement & Construction
As a member of the Amicus Solar Cooperative, we can procure hundreds of megawatts of top-tier equipment. Our construction managers and site supervisors have experience with a variety of project scopes, ranging in complexity.
Operations & Maintenance
Arch offers full-service operation and maintenance services, ranging from remote system monitoring and diagnosis to onsite annual service based on a detailed operations and maintenance best-practice standard.
Solar
Request a FREE solar design for your business.
Energy Storage
Energy storage saves on demand charges, manipulates rates, and keeps operations running smoothly through power outages.
EV Chargers
Provide an easier way for employees and visitors to charge their EVs.
Commercial Solar Incentives
Commercial solar incentives in the Midwest can 'stack' together to make your project affordable.
Lifetime Impact
MW of Solar
Installed
Million lbs of Coal Burn-
ing Avoided
WI Businesses with Solar
Thousand Tons
of CO2 Offset
Case Studies
CH Coakley – Milwaukee
CH Coakley – Milwaukee
Madison Area Technical College
Madison Area Technical College
Hoffman Manufacturing
Hoffman Manufacturing
RecPlex
RecPlex
Careers in Solar
Our Commercial Partners
