Energy Audits & Solar Feasibility in Adelaide
Load analysis, system modelling and ROI projections for Adelaide businesses before any capital is committed.
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The case for energy audits & feasibility
Data-driven system sizing
Every feasibility recommendation is built from your actual interval data, not a generic estimate. The system we recommend is the system your load profile supports.
Multiple scenarios modelled
We typically model three system sizes - conservative, optimal and maximum roof capacity - so you can see how the return changes with scale and make an informed choice.
Finance structure included
The feasibility report includes cash flow projections under both cash purchase and financed scenarios so your finance team can evaluate the investment on the terms that suit your balance sheet.
The numbers
What to expect
All figures indicative only for Adelaide metro, north or north-west facing roof at 10-15 degrees. Actual performance depends on interval data load profile, tariff structure, system design and irradiance. Not a substitute for a site-specific feasibility.
| Business Type | Indicative System | Self-Consumption Rate | Annual Saving (Indicative) | Indicative Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light manufacturing (daytime ops) | 150-300kW | 75-85% | $25,000-$55,000 | 4-6 years |
| Warehouse (daytime, low overnight load) | 100-200kW | 65-80% | $18,000-$40,000 | 4.5-6.5 years |
| Cold store (24-hour operation) | 200-500kW + battery | 55-70% solar + peak demand saving | $35,000-$90,000 | 4-7 years |
| Retail centre (trading hours load) | 50-200kW | 70-85% | $12,000-$40,000 | 4-6 years |
| Winery or agribusiness (seasonal peaks) | 100-400kW | 60-80% | $20,000-$70,000 | 4.5-7 years |
Indicative figures. Your written proposal models your exact site.
Why it matters
Engineered for your site, not off the shelf
The system that pays back fastest is the one built around how you actually use power, not a bundle off a price list.
Off-the-shelf install
- A kW figure straight off a price list
- A standard panel + inverter bundle
- Roof filled regardless of your load
- Export you barely get paid for
- Installed, then forgotten
Our engineered approach
- Sized to your actual power bills
- Panels + inverter matched to your site
- Built to maximise self-consumption
- Battery + design to cut peak-demand charges
- Monitored and serviced by our own team
Thinking about energy audits & feasibility?
Get a free quote. We model the system, savings and payback before you commit to anything.
How we work
A clear path from enquiry to switch-on
Interval data acquisition and load analysis
We obtain 12 months of 30-minute interval data and map your consumption profile. We calculate peak demand, average daily load, the shape of your generation window overlap and any unusual consumption events.
Site visit and roof assessment
We visit the site to measure usable roof area, assess orientation, identify shading objects, inspect the main switchboard capacity and note the network connection point. We photograph the roof, switchboard and distribution board.
Solar resource modelling
We model the generation output of proposed system sizes using a software tool that applies the Adelaide solar resource data and accounts for your specific roof orientation and pitch, inverter efficiency and cable losses.
Self-consumption and export modelling
We overlay the generation model against the load profile to calculate hourly self-consumption and grid export. This determines the actual energy saving - the self-consumed portion offset at your tariff rate.
Adelaide & South Australia
A commercial roof is a balance-sheet asset
Put the sun on your roof to work. We design, install and finance systems that pay for themselves and keep saving for decades.
End to end
Everything included, under one roof
In detail
The detail that matters
An energy audit for commercial solar purposes is not the same as a general energy efficiency audit. Our process is specifically focused on quantifying the solar opportunity: how much of your current consumption can be offset by a rooftop system, and what that offset is worth at your current tariff.
We begin by obtaining your National Metering Identifier (NMI) and requesting 12 months of interval data from your retailer or directly from AEMO. This gives us a 30-minute resolution picture of your consumption across every day of the year, including seasonal variation, weekday versus weekend patterns and the position of your demand peaks.
A single energy bill tells you how much you used. Twelve months of interval data tells you WHEN you used it. The timing is what determines how much of your load falls in the solar generation window and therefore how much a given system size will offset. A business with 80% of its load before 8am will see a very different result to one whose peak consumption is 10am-4pm.
Every assumption in the feasibility drives the investment decision. We build ours from your actual meter data using documented solar resource data for your Adelaide postcode. We show our assumptions clearly so you can challenge them. A feasibility built on generic assumptions is not a feasibility - it is a sales document.
The following table shows indicative outcomes for common Adelaide commercial scenarios. Actual results depend on your specific load profile, tariff, roof orientation and system design.
Payback in years, savings for decades. We will not present numbers until the interval data tells us they are achievable.
Commercial Solar Adelaide
Scenarios where solar may not be the best immediate investment
Not every Adelaide commercial site will return a compelling solar feasibility. We will tell you when the case is marginal or negative rather than adjust assumptions to produce a result that justifies a sale.
- Night-shift operations with minimal daytime load (low self-consumption rate reduces return)
- Sites on low or flat-rate tariffs where the offset rate is close to the feed-in rate
- Buildings with limited usable roof area relative to consumption, resulting in a system that cannot offset a meaningful proportion of load
- Lease arrangements where the tenant pays energy bills but the landlord controls the roof, requiring a split-incentive solution
- Sites where SAPN has indicated a network capacity constraint that limits connection size
- Buildings with planned redevelopment within 5-7 years where the system will not complete a payback period
What we recommend instead
Where solar is not immediately compelling, the feasibility identifies the specific constraint. Sometimes the answer is a tariff review with your retailer, a load shifting exercise, a battery storage project without solar, or simply waiting until planned building works are complete. We are a solar engineering business, not a panel sales channel. Our reputation depends on recommending the right investment, not the biggest system.
Two Adelaide businesses with identical solar systems and identical annual consumption can see significantly different payback periods if their tariff structures differ. The energy audit process surfaces this early, before system sizing decisions are made.
The three tariff variables that most affect the solar ROI calculation are the rate at which self-consumed generation is offset, whether a demand charge component exists, and whether a time-of-use differential is in place. Understanding how these interact with your load profile is central to producing a reliable feasibility.
| Tariff Variable | How It Affects the Solar Calculation | Feasibility Action |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rate - single rate all hours | Every self-consumed kWh saves at the flat rate. Straightforward calculation, moderate return. | Confirm the flat rate applies 24 hours including any controlled load circuits that run overnight. |
| Time-of-use with peak and off-peak rates | Solar generation during peak tariff hours saves at the higher rate. Off-peak generation saves less. The weighted saving rate depends on when generation aligns with peak windows. | Model generation versus peak tariff windows on an hour-by-hour basis to calculate the weighted average saving rate per kWh. |
| Demand charge in dollars per kW per month | Solar alone may not reduce demand charges if peaks occur during low-irradiance periods. Battery storage may be required to target demand savings. | Identify the timing and frequency of demand peaks and compare against the solar generation window in the interval data. |
| Feed-in tariff for grid export | SA commercial feed-in rates are low. Grid export adds marginal value. The model should not rely on export to justify the investment case. | Confirm the current export rate with your retailer and apply it only to the modelled export fraction of total generation. |
| Fixed network charges | Some commercial network charges are fixed regardless of consumption volume. Solar cannot offset these, which reduces the effective per-kWh saving rate. | Identify and exclude fixed network charges from the per-kWh offset calculation to avoid overstating the projected return. |
During the energy audit process we sometimes identify that the business is on a suboptimal tariff class for its consumption profile. Switching to a better-matched tariff with the existing or a new retailer can reduce bills independent of any solar investment. We flag this in the feasibility report as a short-term action that also improves the billing baseline the solar system is measured against.
- Obtain the full tariff schedule including all network charges, not just the retail energy rate shown on your bill
- Identify whether your tariff includes a demand component and confirm exactly how peak demand is measured and billed
- Check whether your tariff has time-of-use rates and confirm the hours of the peak window relative to the solar generation window
- Confirm your current feed-in tariff rate with your retailer - commercial rates can change at retail contract renewal and are often negotiable
- Ask your retailer whether a different tariff class might better match your consumption profile before signing a new retail agreement alongside the solar project
Next step
See what this looks like on your roof
Send us your site details and recent power bills. We'll model the system, savings and payback and put real numbers in front of you, at no cost.
- Free feasibility assessment
- Transparent pricing and payback
- No obligation to proceed
Free quote
Want the numbers for your site?
We model system size, savings and payback before you commit to anything.
(08) 7093 6389FAQ
Frequently asked questions
We offer a free initial feasibility assessment for Adelaide commercial sites above 30kW. This covers a review of your interval data, a site assessment and an indicative financial model. For complex projects requiring detailed electrical engineering, structural assessment or multi-site analysis, a fee may apply. We confirm the scope and any cost before commencing.
The most useful starting point is your National Metering Identifier (NMI), which appears on your electricity bill. We use the NMI to request 12 months of interval data. We also need to visit the site to assess the roof and switchboard. Current electricity bills, a site plan and any existing electrical drawings are helpful but not essential to begin the process.
A full written feasibility for a single-site Adelaide commercial system typically takes 1-2 weeks from receipt of interval data and completion of the site visit. The interval data request from your retailer is sometimes the longest step. Complex multi-site or large-system projects may take 3-4 weeks for a thorough financial model.
Our feasibility reports include: indicative system cost before and after STC incentive, modelled annual generation, modelled annual energy saving (self-consumed at tariff rate), modelled annual demand saving if applicable, simple payback period, 10-year cumulative cash flow, 10-year net present value and internal rate of return. We also show the sensitivity of payback to tariff escalation assumptions.
Yes. A combined solar, battery and EV charging feasibility gives the most accurate picture of how the three technologies interact. Battery storage changes the self-consumption calculation, and EV charging adds a load that solar can directly offset. We model all three together when they are all under consideration.
A material change in load profile can change the self-consumption rate and therefore the financial return. An increase in daytime load generally improves the return by increasing self-consumption. A move to overnight or weekend-heavy operations reduces it. We can model the impact of a planned operational change before installation and design the system and battery configuration to accommodate it.
Start with the numbers, not a sales pitch.
Book a free feasibility assessment and we will model the system, savings and payback for your site before you commit to anything.