 |
Your load requirements, your environmental goals, and the available energy resources may place tight restrictions on your cost options. In considering your cost goals, it is important to be sure of your limitations.
Cost ceiling
Do you have a cost ceiling above which you think you could not go, regardless of the cost-effectiveness of the system? If that cost ceiling is limiting your options, be sure to consider the financing options available to you. For some cost-effective technologies, energy service companies are often willing to pay the up-front cost in return for a percentage of the savings. Various financial incentives may also be available to help you pay the initial cost.
Payback period
Many businesses have tight restrictions on payback periods for investments. When examining payback periods, it is important to be sure that you've examined all your financing options. Also, factors such as net metering could dramatically change the cost effectiveness of a project. And if your business considers intangible benefits, there may be any number of environmental, community, technological, or public relations benefits to a DER installation.
|
