Commercial Solar Installation

performance icon

Performance, product and installation guarantee

headphones icon

Continuous After-Sales Service

Quality icon

Hassle-free solar designed to last

Commercial Solar Panels Brisbane

It’s time to get solar on your business. But you know it’s a minefield out there. Many Brisbane solar companies still aren’t getting residential solar right, while attempting to tap into the commercial solar market. Commercial solar installation is a different ball game.

For the business owner, commercial solar might seem all about the numbers. But the numbers will not add up over time if your solar system fails. MC Electrical are Brisbane based. We are your local Commercial solar installation company. We’ve been in Business since 2009. You know that matters. We’ll install your commercial solar system right and we’ll be here in Brisbane to honour your warranty.

Commercial Solar Brisbane – Prices

20kW - Small Commercial Solar
  • 1 x Fronius 15kW Fronius Symo Inverter
  • 45 x 440W Canadian Solar Panels

Combining 20kW Of High-performance 440W Canadian Commercial Solar Panels And A 15kW Fronius Symo Inverter Is A Solid Small Commercial Solar System, Or An Extra Large Residential Solar System.

From $21,000*

* Prices Subject To Site Inspection

35.2kW - Medium Commercial Solar
  • 1 x Fronius 27kW Eco Inverter
  • 80 Canadian 440W Solar Panels

Matching 39.6kWh Canadian Solar Panels To 1x Fronius Eco Inverters Is Bang For Buck, And One Of Our Most Popular Commercial Solar Systems. Any Larger Than 39kW Of Solar Panels Will Trigger A Whole Lot More Work For Commercial Solar Engineering And Network Protection.

From $34,000*

* Prices Subject To Site Inspection

99.44kW - Large Commercial
  • 3 x Fronius 27kW Eco Inverters
  • 226 Canadian 440W Solar Panels

The Mixture Of 99.44kW Of 440W Canadian Solar Panels And Three 27kW Fronius Eco Inverters, Makes This One Mega Commercial Solar Panel Packages. Due To The Size Of This System, Electrical Engineering Will Be Required. This Can Vary Drastically From Site To Site, Which Is Why We Can Advertise An Approximate Price For This Sized Commercial Solar Panel System

From $110,000*

* Prices Subject To Site Inspection

Call 3268 3836 or Request A Callback For A Free Quote

Commercial Solar Panel Size

Commercial solar panels, or utility solar panels are much larger than residential solar panels. The common size of a  commercial solar panel is 2300mm tall and 1100mm wide. 

Residential or rooftop solar panels are often the same with but only 1700mm tall. Residential panels are often used in commercial rooftop applications.

Commercial Solar Panels Vs Residential Solar Panels

Commercial or Utility solar panels are ideal for ground mounted solar farms. These panels are physically bigger (Approx 2300mm tall x 1100mm wide). Many solar companies also use the large footprint commercial solar panels on rooftop installations. While this occasionally works out to be ok, often the structural engineering for these larger footprint panels causes issues. It is important to note that a commercial solar panel will not allow for more solar power on your roof.

Because the panels are larger, fewer panels can fit. In fact, it often works out that more solar can fit on your roof with the more compact residential panel. At MC Electrical, we find that on sub 100kW commercial solar systems, the smaller footprint panels (approx 1700mm x 1100mm) are ideal. 

These high efficiency 440W Canadian solar panels are ideal for structural design on commercial rooftops, and are better for electrical design on medium-sized commercial inverters. Ground mounted or utility solar systems over 100kW will often use the larger dimension commercial solar panels.

Q&A

How Does Commercial Solar Work?

Think of a commercial solar panel system as your Brisbane business’s in-house coal fire power station – minus the pollution.

Because electricity always takes the path of least resistance, when your solar panels are generating power, your business will use the energy from your power station first. This means you won’t pay to use coal-fired electricity.

If you need more power, your solar panel system will automatically buy electricity from the grid. If you have excess solar power, your solar will automatically sell it back to the grid.

Does Commercial Solar In Brisbane Save Money?

Commercial solar is often a better investment than residential solar because businesses use most of their power during the day. Instead of selling power back to the grid for around 8c/kWh, you will use the power you generate and save around 30c/kWh. Because of this, the return on investment for a commercial solar system is usually even faster than a standard residential installation. The payback period for a simple commercial solar system can be less than three years.

How Long Does It Take To Install Commercial Solar Panels?

A simple Brisbane commercial solar system will take around one day per 10kW to install.

A 30kW system will take around three days.
A 100kW system could take as long as two weeks.
Generally, this will cause minimal interruption to your business. We can arrange power outages outside of business hours.

What Are The Main Disadvantages Of Commercial Solar Power?

There are pros and cons to solar energy. The main disadvantage of solar is that it does not produce power at night. A simple solution to this is to install batteries to store excess solar power. In 2024, batteries are becoming more and more economical, and it may be worth installing solar batteries for your commercial property. However daytime solar production is an advantage in commercial premises because most businesses use the majority of their electricity during the day.

Another disadvantage of solar energy is the proliferation of dodgy solar. The solar industry – as we know it – has only been around since about 2009. As with any industry that booms in a short time, cowboys come to town to make a quick buck. Strict solar industry regulations have made some progress in subduing “crap solar”. However, the solar industry is still a “buyer beware” market. You’ll want to avoid your solar investment prematurely ending up in the landfill.

Can I Run A Commercial Air-conditioner With Solar Power?

Yes. Solar works perfectly to offset commercial air conditioners. Solar works best in the middle of the day and on hot Brisbane summer days. Hot summer days are also the times that commercial air-conditioners work the hardest.

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need For 10,000kWh Per Month?

Let’s assume you install 500W panel, so you need 2 panels to make up 1 kilowatts (kW). In Brisbane, a kilowatt of north-facing solar panels will produce about 4.2kWh of solar power per day (averaged over the year). Using this information, we can work out that:

Two (500W) solar panels will produce about 4.2kWh x 30 days = 126 kWh a month
100 (500W) solar panels will produce about 100 x 12,600 kWh = 12600 kWh a month.

Your solar production will be higher than 12,600 kWh this in summer and lower in winter. So 100x 500w panels should produce roughly 10,000kWh even in winter.

So to easily generate 10,000kWh of solar per month in Brisbane, you’ll need 100 x 500W panels or a 50kW system. But will this eliminate a 10,000kWh per month power bill? Read on.

Can Solar Panels Eliminate My Electricity Bill?

It’s possible to eliminate an electricity bill with solar. However, to eliminate your power bill entirely, you will need to produce significantly more solar power during sunlight hours than you consume over 24 hours. This is because:

It costs more to buy 1kWh of electricity at night than you will get paid to sell 1kWh of solar during the day.
You will also need to offset fees and charges on your power bill (e.g.: daily metering charges).

Are There Any Government Rebates For Commercial Solar Systems

Yes. While it’s technically not called a rebate, you can receive two financial incentives to install solar on a commercial building.

In QLD, commercial solar systems under 39kW are usually eligible for a feed-in tariff. A feed-in tariff is the amount your energy retailer will pay and credit towards your energy bill for the excess solar power you feed back to the grid. The rate they pay will vary but it is usually a bit less than the price you pay for electricity.

Commercial solar systems under 100kW are eligible to receive a “point of sale discount” called “STCs” or “small-scale technology certificates”.

In 2024 this equates to roughly $380 per kW
A 30kW system will attract a $ 11,400 incentive – or point-of-sale discount.
A 100kW system will attract a $38,000 incentive – or point-of-sale discount.

This value of STCs varies daily, so the figures above are only a rough guide.

We, like most Brisbane commercial solar companies, quote solar with the STCs already discounted off the price. So a 30kW solar system will cost around $45,000, but we will quote and charge you about $30,000.

Commercial Solar Gear Recommendations

Inverter Recommendation – Fronius – The Best Solar String Inverter In The World

When it comes to commercial solar inverters, reliability is of paramount importance.

Fronius monitoring (ie: SolarWeb) allows you to remotely check that your commercial solar panel system is operating normally.
In the unlikely event that there is an issue, both the customer and the installer will receive an email with information about what is causing the problem. With automated monitoring systems like this in place, we can make sure your commercial solar panel system is operational again as quickly as possible.

Without monitoring, you’d likely not notice an issue until your next power bill came in which by then could be thousands of dollars in loss.

Solar Panel Recommendation – Canadian Solar – The Best Mix Of Quality, Performance And Price

When it comes to solar panels for commercial solar installations, Canadian Solar are a great option. 

They’re an extremely high-quality panel which is important when you’re installing for commercial purposes. A large part of the installation cost is in the labour. If you were to go for an inferior panel that needed replacing after just a handful of years, you would need to pay for that labour again.

Not only are Canadian Solar panels of great quality, but they also come at an extremely competitive price. Commercial solar systems usually mean a large number of solar panels to be installed. Therefore, the price of the solar panel will make a big difference to the bottom line.

Everyone Knows Fronius Is The Best Solar Inverter...

Discover Why We Are One Of The Only Ten "Fronius Solution Partners Plus" In Australia - And How That Benefits You!

Google_Icon
4.9
4.9/5
Facebook_Icon
4.8
4.8/5
Approved Seller Badge

New Energy Tech Approved Retailer

NETCC Approved Seller 

We’re bound by our standards to ensure a quality installation and service you can trust. Read about the NETCC Guidelines

10 Year Warranty Badge

10-year Workmanship Warranty

As the business is owned by an Electrician who is passionate about solar, we focus on quality, performance, and durability. We confidently stand by our entire system with our 10-year workmanship warranty.

Map of MC Electrical

Local Business, Local Knowledge

We’re locals helping locals. Based in Eagle Farm, Brisbane, we’ve been servicing South-East Queensland since 2009. We’re a family-owned electrical business focusing on quality solar power systems built to last.

Getting Solar Power in QLD Made Simple

Contact Us

Fill out our free online quote form or give us a call.

Too easy.

Don’t worry, it’s no obligation and no hard sell. 

Consultation

It’s up to you. Our preference is to visit your home to understand your property and discuss your energy needs. But if you prefer, we can just provide a “desktop quote”. Our consultants are always happy to explain as much or as little as you’d like to know about solar.

Measure up

A critical part of a high quality solar installation  is sending an electrician out to “measure up” before install day to ensure everything runs smoothly. With a measure up, we guarantee you’ll get what you expected. No surprises. Just the best solar install possible.

Install Day

What’s the most important aspect of any solar installation? The blokes on your roof. We don’t use subcontractors (meet our experienced, long term team on the “our team” page.) We’ll do a professional install, show you how it works, and clean up with a smile.