Energy assessment
Recent bills, interval data and operating hours help separate energy charges from demand charges and identify daytime consumption.
Commercial solar quotes · Victoria
Put your roof to work. Know the numbers.
A business solar proposal should connect the roof design to your operating hours, electricity costs and investment requirements. Start with a clear project scope.
Direct with Lightning Energy · Property-specific advice
Designed around your needs
Start with the load profile, not the empty roof.
A warehouse, office and workshop can have very different electricity needs even when their roofs look similar. Interval usage data helps show when solar could offset grid purchases and when generation might be exported. We review your site, operating pattern and project objectives before discussing system capacity or an optional battery.
Site and connection
Roof condition, structural suitability, access, metering and network requirements shape what can be installed and connected.
Investment scope
Compare the installed cost, assumptions, maintenance and optional storage. Separate estimated savings from guaranteed contractual commitments.
Compare with confidence
What to look for in your proposal.
Keep these details together when comparing equipment options or quotes. Ask for clarification wherever a cost or responsibility is unclear.
Talk through your options- Array and inverter capacity, equipment models and the proposed layout.
- Roof/structural assessment responsibilities and any remedial work.
- Network application, export assumptions, metering and approval dependencies.
- Installation access, shutdowns, workplace safety and business disruption.
- Itemised incentive assumptions, exclusions and payment milestones.
- Generation and financial modelling assumptions, monitoring and support.
Price and scope
Going above 100 kW? Check the current incentive pathway.
The federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme expanded to eligible solar systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW installed from 1 October 2026. Site capacity, expansion rules, equipment, installation and approval requirements still apply. Existing systems supported under the large-scale scheme remain under that scheme. Confirm the applicable certificate treatment before committing to a project; a larger roof does not establish eligibility on its own.
Check the current federal mid-scale solar rules ↗Make a considered choice
Should a business battery be part of the quote?
Storage may help shift energy or manage some peaks, depending on your tariff and load profile. Backup requires a specific design and cannot be assumed from capacity alone. Compare solar-only and solar-plus-storage scenarios using the same operating data, including conversion losses, reserve settings and maintenance. State-specific business incentives should only be included where the project actually qualifies.
Building a proposal from your business electricity data
A commercial solar assessment benefits from a full year of bills and interval usage where available. This helps reveal seasonal trading patterns, weekends, shutdown periods and changing operating hours. A single high bill can be a poor basis for deciding how much generation the business can use.
Ask the proposal to distinguish electricity consumed on site from electricity exported. The financial value can differ, so a generation total is not enough to establish savings. If production is expected to exceed the site’s daytime needs, the export assumptions and connection approval become especially important.
Include planned changes such as new machinery, refrigeration, electric vehicles or longer operating hours. Model these as a separate scenario when they are not yet committed. That allows decision-makers to see whether the investment depends on an expansion actually happening.
Energy charges, demand charges and the business case
A reduction in grid energy purchases does not automatically produce the same percentage reduction in the total bill. A commercial tariff may include daily charges, demand charges and other components. Ask the modeller to show which costs the proposed system changes and which remain.
Demand charges depend on the applicable tariff and when the site reaches its charging peak. Solar generation may not coincide with that peak. If a battery is proposed for demand management, ask how its control strategy, power rating and available energy respond to the actual load pattern.
Compare scenarios using a consistent study period and assumptions. The model should state the installed cost, incentive treatment, electricity prices, maintenance allowances and treatment of equipment replacement. Request a sensitivity check showing how the result changes with lower self-consumption or a different tariff instead of relying on one payback figure.
Roof, network and installation checks before sign-off
Confirm who is responsible for assessing the roof structure and condition, and whether those assessments are included in the proposal. Upcoming roof repairs, access restrictions or hazardous materials can affect the project scope and programme. Identify these dependencies before agreeing a fixed installation schedule.
The network connection process is a separate part of project planning. Ask which applications are required, who submits them and whether the quoted design depends on a particular export allowance. Any necessary metering, protection or switchboard work should be identified or clearly listed as provisional.
Installation planning should cover deliveries, roof access, exclusion areas and electrical shutdowns. Nominate a site contact and agree how staff or tenants will be notified. A realistic programme gives the business a way to plan around disruption rather than discovering access requirements when installers arrive.
Ownership, handover and performance after installation
For leased premises, clarify landlord consent, roof access rights, system ownership and end-of-lease responsibilities. The party paying for the installation may not be the party paying the electricity bill. Those arrangements need to be understood before projected savings are assigned to the investment.
Agree what will be handed over: final equipment details, commissioning records, warranties, monitoring access and relevant approval documents. Confirm which staff member or facilities provider will receive system alerts and who is responsible for investigating a drop in output.
Compare measured performance with the assumptions in the proposal over a suitable period, allowing for weather and operational changes. Monitoring can help identify an issue, but it does not replace an agreed maintenance and support arrangement. Ask what ongoing service is included and what would be charged separately.
For larger projects, confirm the incentive pathway early and revisit it if the capacity or installation programme changes. Keep certificate assumptions distinct from engineering and network approval: eligibility for an incentive does not establish that a proposed system can be installed as drawn.
From enquiry to proposal
Three steps to a clearer decision.
Book a conversation
Choose a consultation time below, or call our team. Explain your property, priorities and timing.
Review the details
Have recent bills, interval usage data if available, the site address and operating hours ready. Include lease or ownership constraints, planned new equipment and any required completion dates.
Assess the proposal
Review the recommended equipment, installed scope, incentives and any outstanding site checks before deciding.
Available times
Let's work through your quote.
Choose a consultation time with Lightning Energy. This starts a conversation about your project; it does not commit you to an installation.
What information is needed for a commercial quote?
Provide the site address, recent electricity bills, operating hours and interval data where available. Roof ownership, lease conditions, access and any planned expansion also help define the scope.
Can a tenant request a solar proposal?
Yes, but roof rights, landlord consent and the lease need to be considered. Clarify who owns the system, who benefits and what happens at the end of the tenancy.
Will a larger system deliver better savings?
Not necessarily. Daytime demand, export approval, roof constraints, tariff structure and project cost all affect the result. Use the same assumptions when comparing system sizes.
Can we install without disrupting operations?
The installation plan should identify access restrictions and any shutdown requirements. Agree the programme and responsibilities before work begins; do not assume there will be no interruption.
Is a desktop quote the final installation scope?
A proposal may remain subject to site assessment, structural advice and network approval. Ask which checks are complete and which costs or conditions remain provisional.
