Start with bills, interval data and operating hours
Recent bills show current tariffs and headline use. Interval data, where available, shows when electricity is used through the day. Add normal operating hours, shutdown periods and seasonal changes so unusual months do not drive the whole design.
Read tariffs, demand charges and exports carefully
Commercial bills may include several usage periods, demand charges and other line items. The proposal should state which current tariff information it uses and how on-site use and possible exports are treated.
Assess infrastructure, metering and installation access
Existing switchboards, metering arrangements, roof condition, safe access, equipment locations and cable routes can all affect the work. Installation also needs to be coordinated around staff, customers, production and site access.
Define what a commercial battery needs to do
Possible purposes include using more solar on site, managing demand, following tariff windows, supporting selected continuity loads or preparing for future expansion. Business continuity and backup priorities must be defined in terms of actual loads and the electrical design.
Include fleet or workplace EV charging
Vehicle numbers, dwell times, parking locations, charger use and future fleet plans can materially change the load profile. Load management and staged charger deployment may belong in the same plan as solar or storage.
Plan staged delivery where useful
A business may prefer to stage enabling electrical work, solar, storage and EV charging. Each stage should have a clear purpose and avoid blocking a known future stage.
Commercial assessment checklist
- Recent electricity bills
- Available interval data
- Operating hours
- Seasonal loads
- Tariffs and demand charges
- Export settings
- Roof access and coordination
- Infrastructure and metering
- Battery purpose
- Continuity and backup loads
- Fleet or workplace EV plans
- Preferred project stages
Related guides
Reviewed by the Adelaide SolarSafe installation team.
