What information is needed for a solar feasibility assessment?
In Short
Understanding the Full Answer
A proper feasibility assessment depends on accurate site and energy information. Without this information, any system size, savings estimate or payback period is only a rough assumption.
For commercial, agricultural and food processing sites, the most important information is listed below.
1. Electricity Bills
Ideally, the assessment should include 12 months of electricity bills. This helps identify:
- Monthly usage.
- Seasonal patterns.
- Tariff structure.
- Demand charges.
- Fixed charges.
- Time-of-use exposure.
- Baseline energy cost.
Twelve months are useful because many agricultural and food processing businesses have seasonal energy patterns. A citrus packhouse, macadamia processor, irrigation farm, cold store or abattoir may not use energy evenly throughout the year.
3. Operating Profile
The business should provide information on:
- Operating hours.
Main energy-consuming equipment. - Production schedules.
Irrigation schedules. - Refrigeration or cold storage requirements.
- Seasonal demand.
- Planned expansion.
This matters because solar generation happens during daylight hours, while some energy demand may occur early morning, evening or overnight.
5. Commercial Preference
The client should indicate whether they are open to:
- Capex ownership.
- Financed ownership.
- Power Purchase Agreement.
- Hybrid structure.
- Phased implementation.
This is important because the best technical solution may change depending on how the project is funded and what the business wants to achieve.
Practical Checklist
Before starting a feasibility review, prepare:
- 12 months of electricity bills.
- Site address or GPS pin.
- Site photos or drawings.
- Operating hours.
- Main loads and equipment.
- Generator details.
- Backup requirements.
- Future expansion plans.
- Preferred commercial model.
- Contact person and decision-maker details.
2. Site Details
The assessment should include:
- Site address or GPS pin.
- Site layout.
- Roof areas.
- Available land.
- Carport or mounting opportunities.
- Photos or drawings, if available.
- Property ownership or lease status.
Roof condition, roof orientation, shading, structural capacity and available space can all affect system design.
4. Backup and Generator Information
If the business has a generator, the assessment should include:
- Generator size.
- Diesel usage.
- Maintenance costs.
- Which loads are backed up.
- How often the generator runs.
- Whether the generator should be integrated into a future hybrid system.
Battery storage may be useful, but the need depends on the actual backup requirement.
6. Grid and Compliance Information
For grid-tied systems, connection and registration requirements must be considered. Eskom explains that the embedded generation application process starts with a submission to connect the installation to the national grid, after which Eskom issues a quote that may include metering changes or network upgrades where applicable.
HolmStone CTA
Request an energy assessment to understand where your business is exposed and which energy pathway is commercially sensible for your operation.