Commercial solar for NZ businesses, cutting power costs by 50 to 70%
Apollo Energy designs and installs commercial solar systems for warehouses, factories, farms and larger sites across New Zealand. Most commercial systems save 50 to 70% on electricity and pay back in 4 to 8 years, depending on how much of the power your site uses during the day.
Commercial solar ROI in NZ: what businesses save
Commercial solar systems typically save 50 to 70% on electricity and pay back in 4 to 8 years. For a business spending $5,000 a month on power, that is $35,000 to $42,000 saved each year. After payback, the system keeps cutting your bill for the rest of its 25 year panel warranty.
Lower Operating Costs
Every kilowatt hour you generate and use on site is one you no longer buy from the grid at commercial rates.
Hedge Against Price Rises
Commercial electricity rates in NZ keep climbing. Solar fixes the cost of a large share of your daytime power for 25 years or more.
Sustainability Credentials
On site solar supports your carbon reduction targets and the procurement requirements many corporate customers now set.
A Long Life Asset
A commercial solar system is a capital improvement to your property that keeps producing power for decades after it has paid for itself.
Savings and payback for warehouses, factories and farms
The 50 to 70% savings and 4 to 8 year payback ranges hold across most commercial sites. Where your site lands in them depends mainly on self-consumption: the more of your solar output you use during the day, the bigger the saving and the shorter the payback.
Warehouses and Distribution
Large flat roofs suit big arrays, with lighting, forklift charging and cooling running through the working day.
Savings: within the 50 to 70% range, highest when the array is sized to your daytime load rather than to fill the roof.
Payback: typically 4 to 8 years. Surplus power exported at low buy-back rates is what stretches it.
Factories and Manufacturing
Machinery, compressors and process equipment draw steady power through the day, so most of the solar output is used on site.
Savings: tends to sit toward the top of the 50 to 70% range when production runs in daylight hours.
Payback: often toward the shorter end of 4 to 8 years, because little of the generation is exported.
Farms and Rural Sites
Irrigation pumps, milking sheds, cool stores and packhouses often run in daylight, and many rural sites have shed roofs or land for a ground mounted array.
Savings: within the 50 to 70% range where pumping and processing line up with the sun.
Payback: 4 to 8 years. Sites whose heaviest loads run at night or out of season land toward the longer end.
Projects of 100kW and Above
Large rooftops and ground mounted sites, such as our 130kW installation in East Tamaki. The installed cost per kW falls as systems get larger.
Savings: within the 50 to 70% range, with the array sized to the site's daytime demand.
Payback: 4 to 8 years. Distributed Generation approval from your lines company and any structural checks add lead time, which we plan into the project.
These are typical ranges for commercial systems, not a quote. We model your own savings and payback from your power bills and meter data during a free assessment. For indicative installed costs by system size, see our commercial solar costs and ROI guide.
Real results from a real business
East Tamaki Warehouse, 130kW System
An East Tamaki business with a large warehouse and office facility was facing rising commercial power bills from heavy daytime loads. Apollo Energy designed a 130kW rooftop system across the full roof area, with Trina Solar panels and commercial grade string inverters.
Solar systems designed for your building
Every commercial property is different. Apollo Energy designs each system around your building type, your energy use through the day and your business goals.
Reduce shared operating costs and attract sustainability minded tenants.
Daytime trading hours line up with solar generation peaks.
Cooling demand rises in sunny weather, when solar output is highest.
A battery stores midday generation for later use. See solar batteries.
From energy audit to ongoing savings in 5 steps
Energy Audit
We analyse your power bills, usage patterns and roof or land to find the system size that gives the best return.
System Design
Custom engineering design with savings and payback projections and component specifications.
Distributed Generation Application
We prepare and lodge the Distributed Generation application with your local lines company to secure grid connection approval.
Installation
Professional installation with minimal disruption to your operations, following health and safety requirements.
Monitoring
Ongoing performance monitoring and maintenance to protect your return over 25 years and more.
Commercial solar questions answered
What size commercial solar system does my business need?
System size depends on your electricity use, roof or land area and budget. A small office might need 10 to 20kW, while a warehouse, factory or farm could benefit from 50 to 100kW or more. We size the array to your daytime load so that most of the output is used on site.
What is the ROI on commercial solar in NZ?
Commercial systems typically save 50 to 70% on electricity and pay back in 4 to 8 years. Sites that use most of their solar output during the day land toward the shorter end of that range. After payback, the system keeps offsetting your power bill for many years.
Do you handle the distributed generation application?
Yes. Connecting a commercial solar system to the grid requires a Distributed Generation (DG) application to your local lines company. Apollo Energy prepares and lodges the full application on your behalf, including system specifications and electrical compliance, and manages it through to connection approval.
Can solar work for my warehouse or factory?
Warehouses and factories suit solar well. Large, flat roof areas provide good mounting space, and high daytime energy use means you consume most of what you generate, which maximises savings without relying on grid export.
Is commercial solar worth it for a farm?
Often, yes. Irrigation, milking, refrigeration and packhouse loads frequently run during daylight, and farm sheds or spare land can host a large array. We check how your load changes through the day and across the seasons before recommending a size.
Do you offer maintenance contracts?
Yes. We offer ongoing monitoring and maintenance packages that include system performance tracking, panel cleaning, inverter checks and priority support. Regular maintenance helps your system deliver its expected output for its full lifespan.
Run the numbers before you commit
Commercial Solar NZ: Costs, ROI and How to Choose
Indicative installed costs by system size, a worked 50kW ROI model and the questions to ask a commercial installer.
Is Commercial Solar Worth It in NZ?
Payback and ROI by business type, a worked example for a $5,000 a month power bill and how businesses fund solar.
Request your free commercial energy assessment
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