Solar for Office Buildings and Retail—Lower Costs Without the Sales Pressure.
Slash High Energy Costs
Enhance Tenant Retention
Increase Property Value
Solar upgrades make your building more attractive to buyers, investors, and tenants.
Maximize Available Incentives
Let’s run the numbers—no pressure, no sales pitch. Just expert advice designed around your business.
Built for Office and Retail Properties
Office buildings and retail centers face growing pressure from rising energy costs and tenant demand for sustainable spaces. Solar offers a strategic advantage—cutting overhead, boosting net operating income, and increasing property value. At EIP, we design customized rooftop, carport, and battery-backed systems based on your property’s real usage and goals—not sales targets.
Real Results for Office and Retail Properties
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to install solar on an office or retail building in San Diego in 2025?
San Diego averages about $2.33–$3.15 per watt installed; a 100 kW commercial system pencils to roughly $233k–$315k before incentives, with final pricing dependent on roof type, electrical upgrades, and gear. The 30% federal ITC can materially lower net cost.
What San Diego incentives can offices and retail centers use?
Key drivers include the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) (in place through at least 2032), California’s Active Solar Energy System property-tax exclusion (solar value not added to assessed value), and SGIP rebates when pairing battery storage (available to SDG&E customers).
How long does it take from contract to “power on” in San Diego?
Plan on ~3–6 months total. SDG&E’s interconnection application can be processed quickly (often under 30 days, average <5 business days once complete), but design, permits, installation, inspections, and PTO add calendar time.
What ROI do office/retail solar projects typically see?
Many commercial sites reach payback in ~4–7 years, driven by daytime loads, rising utility rates, and incentives; pairing storage can further reduce demand/TOU costs under California’s Net Billing framework.
How does California’s Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0/NBT) affect offices and retail?
Under Net Billing, exported kWh earn hourly values vs. 1:1 credit; most value comes from self-consumption and shifting with batteries. A large share of NBT customers have added storage, improving economics.
What financing options work well for commercial office/retail solar?
Common paths: Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) (no CapEx, buy power at a set rate), C-PACE (assessed via property tax), and cash/loan with MACRS depreciation alongside the ITC.
Will solar integrate with our Building Management System (BMS) and demand controls?
Yes. Commercial PV/ESS can tie into BMS for load shifting, demand charge management, and TOU optimization under Net Billing—standard practice in 2025 commercial designs.
What maintenance is required for an office/retail solar array?
Systems are low-maintenance: routine monitoring, annual inspections, and occasional cleaning keep performance on track over decades; storage systems add scheduled health checks.
Can one system serve multiple suites/tenants in a retail center?
Yes. Designs can offset common-area loads and, where tariffs and metering allow, allocate benefits to tenant meters (e.g., via tariff structures and billing programs). Implementation varies by utility and lease structure.
Do panels increase my property taxes?
In California, qualifying commercial solar is covered by the Active Solar Energy System new-construction exclusion, so assessed value doesn’t increase because of the solar addition.