The shift to sustainable energy is a large part of the world’s process at present. Keeping the environment clean is a responsibility that needs to be shared by all businesses. That’s why switching to sustainable alternatives for energy is essential. One of the biggest energy options is solar power. Several businesses have already made the shift and it requires them to set up solar farms.
What are solar farms?
If you're wondering what a solar farm is, then here’s the answer. It’s a large field used to harvest sunlight. Sunlight is captured either through Photovoltaic panel installations or other methods of collecting solar power like concentrating solar systems. These areas are large, stretching over acres. They’re also known as solar parks or power stations.
Residential and commercial systems are centralized in nature. However solar farms are highly decentralized. The solar panels are spread across large areas for the collection of energy. These farms are generally used for providing power to local-end users like homeowners and businesses. However, solar power plant companies often develop solar farms for providing power to electrical grids. Different solar projects have different setups and needs. The most common ones are community solar farms and utility solar farms.
Needs of solar farms
So what exactly are the needs of solar farms? Primarily, you'll need a large amount of investment to procure the PV plates and install the systems. Secondly, you’ll need a large accessible area from where power lines can be drawn or connected. Usually, plots of about 30 to 40 acres are needed. But occasionally, land can be bundled together to create large stretches of 100 acres and above for solar projects. A 30 to 40 acres project will allow an energy output of 5 MW.
Next, you’ll need a land lease to set up a power plant. Solar companies in India generally take a lease of about 20-25 years for the land where solar farms are built. Added with this you need to consider other factors like the employees you need to hire, the utilities required, the type of market you want to serve (industries, homes, communities, etc.), and the licensing requirements of solar farms.
Costs involved in setting up a solar farm
Different manufacturers and providers of solar power plants provide different cost ranges. However, calculating an average scale, let's look at what the cost structure could be. The cost of an acre of land is approximately 5 lakhs in India. For a solar farm with an output of 5 MW, a minimum size of 25 - 30 acres is required. And the approximate cost of drawing a grid line is about 15 lakh/km, depending on the type of line being drawn.
The total estimated cost investment will come close to Rs.63,92,045 if your current spending is Rs.2 lakhs. The tax benefit factored in you get a total benefit of about Rs.10,86,648 and the net cost you have to be liable for comes down to Rs.53,05,397. An annual savings of Rs.13,50,000 over a payback time of 4 years is noted. However, as stated earlier, the prices depend absolutely upon the market, demand, manufacturer, etc. It’s recommended you contact a solar power plant manufacturer for fine details and more accurate prices.
How much do you save?
The amount of savings you get will vary upon the number of years that you have used the solar farm for. While an initial setup cost may be high, the returns extended over a period are quite beneficial for your business. You can save up to Rs. 13.5 lakhs depending as mentioned earlier upon the type of energy usage per year. With respect to previous estimate of a Rs.2 lakh energy bill, The savings in terms of energy production are estimated to be 2,72,727 kWh. Additionally, the annual Co2 emission you’ll be saving are 2,55,682 KGs.
Getting a solar farm dedicated to our business is not too big of a stretch. It's quite a cost-efficient method for long-term investors. These are investments that you make, and the ROI per year varies upon your usage. In any case, you may also use a hybrid method if you run a business that cannot only rely on solar energy. The accessibility of it makes it a suitable alternative to standard fuel-based electricity alternatives.
We recommend you get into contact with a Solar Farm manufacturer like RaysExperts. This firm dwells in solar farm manufacturing and can help you with installing solar panels, recommending the best system, operating it, and ensuring maintenance are also taken care of. This company is dedicated to providing you with the best services you can get in India. Set up a solar panel system today to ensure that your business can lower its carbon footprint. In a world that’s moving towards environment-friendly systems, you shouldn’t be left out. You can enter your energy bill amount on the savings calculator on their website. You’ll get an estimate of how much you’ll save if you change to solar power. Contact them for more information. What are you waiting for? Go online today and make the shift to solar power alternatives right away!
