As long as your rooftop is meeting basic expectations, you may not spend much time thinking about it. After all, if a roof is working as it should, it keeps you safe, dry, and protected from the elements. What more could you want?
Well, it turns out there’s a lot of untapped potential hanging over our heads. Commercial and industrial rooftops are poised to play an essential role in the widespread transition to renewable energy and add some new substantial benefits to your bottom line in the process.
A new piece from CNBC is the latest story to identify our available urban infrastructure—specifically rooftops and carports—as essential tools in expanding America’s renewable energy sources. By housing collections of solar panels on existing structures that might as well be tailor-made for this purpose, we’re taking steps toward powering the country in a healthier, more sustainable way.
Collectively, there are millions upon millions of square feet worth of empty rooftop space all across the country that offer a powerful new path forward for our energy systems. They also create an alternative to the construction of solar farms in more rural areas that would otherwise go untouched. In fact, the advantages of locating solar installations on rooftops are pretty extensive:
- There’s no need to disrupt the natural environment. As America’s demand for renewable energy continues to increase, we’ll need to build more resources for solar generation all across the country. But why should we fill our undeveloped lands with newly-constructed solar farms when we have an endless amount of perfectly usable rooftop space at our disposal?
- The greenest way to build is… don’t build. Between fuel-hungry equipment and the production of materials, construction inherently comes with a significant carbon footprint. In addition to leaving our natural spaces undisturbed, we’re able to minimize the amount of new infrastructure that needs to be built by placing solar panels on existing structures.
- The future of energy is distributed. Energy experts, government agencies, and industry organizations agree that power systems are stronger when they can generate energy and put it to use within a relatively localized area. The decision to develop resources for solar generation in the places where we already live and work isn’t just environmentally responsible—it’s also the most practical way to approach energy distribution.
Obviously, using your rooftop to house a solar installation is the right move for the environment. It’s also the right move for your budget! Catalyst Power’s Connected Microgrid solutions allow you to replace a portion of your traditional energy use with solar energy generated right on your property, decreasing your power bill by up to 10 percent each month. Plus, you’ll lock in a fixed lower rate for the duration of your agreement. In an era driven by wild spikes in energy prices, adding some stability to your ongoing power spending is a big victory.
If a Connected Microgrid isn’t the right approach—or you have even more space to be filled—there’s another way you can put your rooftop to work and add a new revenue stream along the way. Through Catalyst Power’s Rooftop Leasing program, you can lease us your rooftop space to be used as a location for a new solar installation.
We’ll pay you at rates of up to $1/sq. ft. per year1 to lease your rooftop space. (It’s hard to imagine an easier way to make some extra money, right?) Plus, you’ll be strengthening your company’s efforts toward environmental responsibility by supporting the development of new clean energy infrastructure.
It really is as simple as that. If you’re ready to put your roof to better use, you can get started here to find out if your space might be a good fit for our Rooftop Leasing program.
Whether it’s through a Connected Microgrid or a Rooftop Lease, there’s plenty of reason to reimagine the way you utilize the space on your roof. Like we (and CNBC, and the New York Times, and many others) have said before, turning our unoccupied rooftops into tools for solar generation is an essential step in the process of building a more sustainable future. It’s also a decision that can come with serious financial rewards for those who own suitable buildings.
In short: If you’re in possession of a rooftop that currently sits empty, you’re letting a valuable asset go unused. It’s easy, environmentally responsible, and financially advantageous to convert your extra space into a hub for solar energy production.
Don’t let a valuable asset go underutilized any longer. Get in touch with our team today!
1 Actual rates may vary depending on, but not limited to, size, shape, quality, and geography of the roof.
