Solar panels access on-site energy

To achieve sustainability goals while meeting the increasing electricity demands of electrification, organizations are pairing on-site solar PV generation with on-site energy storage. These systems, which are considered as “behind-the-meter” (BTM) systems, allow facilities to maximize the benefits of on-site renewable generation.

In some markets, on-site generation is a necessity if a company wishes to get a facility through the planning process. And, at a time of increasing energy costs, every penny counts. “On-site solar power is one of the lowest-cost sources of clean energy but can have some limitations,” says Iron Mountain's Pennington.

For the scenario represented in the graph, an on-site solar PV system allows the facility to reduce the amount of electricity drawn from the grid during the middle of the day. Increasing the amount of solar PV production on-site can provide additional cost and emission reductions and resiliency benefits for facilities.

If a utility restricts the exports from a facility to the grid, the use of on-site storage alongside solar PV can provide a solution to avoid costly infrastructure upgrades, thus increasing the feasibility of larger on-site PV installations.

Solar systems can connect to base building systems or be connected directly to the main electrical bus for a campus, but it's important to consider how this additional power source can be disconnected or isolated when needed.

Increasing the amount of solar PV production on-site can provide additional cost and emission reductions and resiliency benefits for facilities. However, the additional generation that can result from larger systems during peak daylight hours must be exported or managed through curtailment on-site.