Turn Your Roof Into a Power Plant for Your Business
Solar for small California businesses that use electricity while the sun is out — especially Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. Use power while you work, and store some for later if a battery makes sense.
Small commercial projects • Solar • Batteries • Financing options
Use solar at work. Store a portion for later. A system can be designed to keep energy onsite, subject to utility approval.
The Federal Commercial Solar Incentive Has a Deadline
Eligible businesses may qualify for a federal clean-energy investment tax credit of up to 30% of qualifying project costs, subject to applicable requirements. Under current federal law, qualifying solar projects beginning construction now generally need to be placed in service by December 31, 2027 to qualify.
Commercial solar takes time to design, permit and install. Businesses considering solar should start evaluating their project well before the deadline.
See If My Business QualifiesTax incentives are subject to eligibility requirements and may change. SolarSesame does not provide tax advice. Consult your tax professional regarding your eligibility and the applicable placed-in-service requirements.
Your Business Doesn't Use Electricity Like a Home. Your Solar System Shouldn't Be Designed Like One.
SolarSesame analyzes when your business uses electricity, not just how much appears on your monthly bill. We design commercial systems around your operating hours and energy usage so more solar energy can be consumed directly by your business or stored in batteries for later use.
Power Your Business
Use solar production directly during operating hours.
Store Excess Energy
Battery storage can capture available solar energy for use later.
Reduce Utility Dependence
Produce more of the electricity your business needs onsite.
Is Your Business a Good Fit for Commercial Solar?
SolarSesame focuses on small commercial projects under 1 MW AC. Businesses that use significant electricity during daylight hours are often especially well suited for our commercial solar and battery systems.
Don't See Your Business?
That's okay. What matters most isn't your industry — it's when and how your business uses electricity. If your business operates during the day and has consistent electricity usage, commercial solar may be a strong fit.
See If My Business Is a Good FitEspecially good candidates: Businesses with HVAC, refrigeration, machinery, pumps, compressors, commercial kitchens, laundry equipment, EV charging or other equipment operating throughout the day.
Use the Energy You Produce
Your business can use the solar energy it makes while it is open. A battery may save extra energy for later. You still buy electricity from the utility whenever solar and stored energy are not enough.
Solar powers your business
Your roof makes electricity while your lights, cooling and equipment are running.
A battery stores some
If your panels make more than you need right then, a battery can save some for later.
Stored power helps out
When sunlight fades, your business can use stored electricity from the battery.
You still buy power from the utility whenever solar and the battery aren't enough.
Why use your solar power instead of sending it away?
When you use solar electricity in your business, you buy less electricity from the utility. If extra power goes back to the grid, your utility may give you a bill credit. Under California’s newer solar billing rules, often called NEM 3.0, those credits are usually worth less than the electricity you buy — though their value changes by hour, and some hours pay more.
Our starting point: use it here
We look at your operating hours and bills, then size solar for the electricity your business uses during the day. A battery can hold some extra power for later, if the numbers support it.
What if you don’t send power to the grid?
A “non-export” design uses controls to keep extra solar power on your property rather than sending it out. Once the battery is full and the business needs less power, the panels may produce less. That can be a good choice, but it is not automatically the best one.
We compare both approaches
Your rate plan, daytime use, battery cost, export credits and utility rules determine the answer. We’ll show the assumptions, including what happens on weekends when your business may be closed.
These newer billing rules apply to many new solar customers of PG&E, SCE and SDG&E; other utilities and existing plans can differ. Non-export projects have separate utility approval rules. Read California’s utility-billing explanation
We Don't Size Commercial Solar From One Electric Bill
Two businesses with the same monthly bill can need very different systems. We look at usage by time of day, weekday versus weekend demand, your utility rate, and available roof space before sizing solar or a battery. Your proposal should show estimated onsite use, remaining utility purchases, costs and assumptions — not just a headline savings number.
Tell Us About Your Business
Operating hours, equipment and electricity costs.
Share Utility Usage
We'll request recent utility bills and, when available, interval usage data.
We Analyze Your Load Profile
Our design team evaluates when your business consumes electricity.
We Design Your System
Solar and battery capacity are designed around your property's actual energy needs.
Review Your Savings
Receive a customized commercial solar proposal.
Planning to Use More Electricity?
A solar system should make sense for the business you’re building, not just the electricity you use today. Tell us about upcoming changes when we discuss your project.
New equipment
Heat pumps, EV chargers, refrigeration or machinery can change how much power you need during the day.
Business growth
Longer hours, new tenants or expansion can change when your business uses electricity.
No changes planned?
That helps too. We can start with your current usage and discuss what a right-sized system could look like.
Add Battery Storage to Get More From Your Solar
Store Solar Energy
Store some daytime solar energy for when you need it later. Capacity should match your actual after-sun hours needs.
Use Energy Later
A battery can serve later loads and may help manage expensive peak periods, depending on your utility tariff.
Backup Capability
Depending on system design, batteries can provide backup power for selected business loads during outages.
Battery storage does not automatically mean outage backup. Backup needs the right equipment and a plan for which loads stay on; economics and interconnection rules vary by utility.
How Commercial Solar Pays You Back
A tax credit can reduce the federal income tax your business owes; a depreciation deduction can lower taxable income. They are different benefits, not cash back at installation. The current commercial clean electricity investment credit is Section 48E. Your ownership, tax position, project dates and equipment determine what actually applies.
Federal clean electricity credit
A qualifying small solar project may receive a credit worth 30% of eligible costs. Projects under 1 MW AC generally qualify for the full 30% rate without prevailing-wage or apprenticeship records — those requirements apply to larger projects. A tax credit reduces tax owed; it is not an upfront rebate.
Business depreciation
Eligible business-owned equipment may also qualify for depreciation deductions. This is separate from the credit; basis adjustments and bonus-depreciation rules affect the actual value. Have your tax advisor model both together.
Domestic content bonus
An additional 10 percentage points may be available when the project's steel, iron and manufactured products meet detailed U.S.-content rules. A U.S. label alone does not establish eligibility.
Energy community bonus
An additional 10 percentage points may apply to eligible sites such as certain brownfields or designated energy communities. Eligibility depends on the exact location and applicable rules.
What could a 30% tax credit mean?
Imagine your business buys an eligible solar project for $100,000. If your tax advisor confirms that the full cost qualifies for a 30% Section 48E credit, the credit could reduce federal tax owed by $30,000.
That is $30,000 in potential federal tax savings and a $70,000 illustrative cost after the credit — before loan interest and fees, any depreciation benefit, future electricity savings, and other project costs or incentives. This is not $30,000 in cash at installation.
Not a quote or guaranteed savings. You generally claim a credit on a tax return, subject to eligibility and your ability to use it. The credit can differ if not all costs qualify. Your tax advisor should check ownership, tax liability, timing, depreciation and any credit-transfer option.
Considering Commercial Solar? Don't Wait Until 2027
Already started by July 4, 2026?
A project that met the legal begin-construction rules by this date may follow a different timing path. A signed contract or deposit alone is not automatically enough. Have your tax advisor review the evidence.
Starting after July 4, 2026?
Under current law, solar generally must be placed in service by December 31, 2027 to qualify for Section 48E. "Placed in service" is a federal tax concept — it is not the same as signing a contract, and it is ultimately determined by your tax professional. Commercial projects take time to design, permit and build, so start evaluating well before the deadline.
Battery storage has separate eligibility rules and is not subject to the same solar-specific termination rule. Ask your tax advisor how a combined project should be treated.
Questions worth asking before you sign
Do I need to send power back to the grid?
Not necessarily. We can compare a utility-approved design that keeps power onsite with one that earns grid credits. The better choice depends on your bills, operating hours and utility rules.
Is a battery always worth it?
Not always. Compare battery cost with your evening use, peak pricing and backup needs. A battery may qualify for a credit on its own, subject to eligibility.
What if I lease my space?
You need the property owner's permission and an agreement that covers access, ownership and the remaining lease term. Who owns the system affects who may claim tax benefits.
Will I get the full credit in cash?
Usually not. A credit offsets eligible tax liability; a separate transfer option may exist, with additional rules. Ask your CPA about your tax capacity, carryforward and financing.
How a business claims the federal solar credit
For a for-profit business that owns its system, the credit is generally claimed as the Section 48E Clean Electricity Investment Credit on the business's federal tax return. The steps are simpler than the nonprofit Direct Pay process — but your tax advisor should prepare and file the forms.
Own the system
Your businessYour business purchases and holds title to the solar array — with cash, a loan, or a mix. Ownership is what unlocks the credit for a for-profit taxpayer.
Design, install & document
SolarSesameWe engineer, permit and install the system, then hand your CPA a complete Tax-Credit Documentation Package: final cost, equipment list, system size, placed-in-service date and any domestic-content records.
File Form 3468 + Form 3800
Your tax advisorYour CPA calculates the Section 48E credit on Form 3468 (Part V), reports it on Form 3800, and attaches both to your business's normal federal income-tax return for the year the system is placed in service.
Transfer the credit for cash
OptionalIf your business can't fully use the credit, it may be transferable to an unrelated taxpayer for cash under Section 6418. That requires IRS Energy Credits Online registration and an election — your tax advisor confirms if it applies.
Tax-Credit Documentation Package included
Every SolarSesame commercial customer receives a project documentation package after installation, including contract and invoice, final system cost, equipment list, system size, project address, and placed-in-service documentation.
Your CPA can use this information when determining eligibility and preparing applicable federal clean-energy tax-credit filings, including Form 3468 and Form 3800.
SolarSesame does not provide tax advice. Tax-credit eligibility is determined by the customer and their tax professional.
The exact return depends on your entity type — corporation, partnership, S corporation or sole proprietor — and your tax advisor determines which forms apply. SolarSesame provides project documentation; we do not prepare tax returns or give tax advice. Always have your CPA or tax advisor confirm eligibility, filing requirements and deadlines before acting.
Talk to your tax advisor before committing
We are solar contractors, not tax advisors. Your CPA or tax professional should confirm eligibility, eligible basis, which bonuses apply, the filing deadline for your tax year, and the mechanics of the credit or any transfer. Bring them in early — the placed-in-service date and any IRS registration need to be on their calendar, not discovered at filing time.
Read the IRS clean electricity investment credit guideYou don’t need to write one big check
This is the objection we hear first: we don’t have $150,000 sitting in the operating account. You don’t need it. Small businesses finance these projects, and the 30% federal tax credit — claimed later on your return — can reduce what the project really costs you.
Start with the bank you already use. Your existing lender knows your financials, your deposit history, and your cash flow. That relationship very often produces the best rate and the lowest fees available to you — better than anything a solar company can arrange. Ask them for a commercial equipment or term loan for a solar installation, and tell them a 30% federal tax credit is expected in the first or second year.
If your bank passes, or you want a competing quote, we can help arrange financing through lender partners — with rates currently starting around 7.5% and terms up to 30 years. Move the sliders to see what a project loan could look like for your business.
Estimate your loan
Rates from 7.99% · Terms up to 30 yearsIf your electricity bill is higher than this loan payment, you may save money from month one — and the longer term is what keeps the payment that low for many businesses.
Estimated monthly payment
$1,466/mo
- Origination fee
- $3,000
- Est. federal tax credit (30%)
- $60,000
The credit is claimed on your business tax return — not paid in cash at installation, and it does not automatically pay your installer or reduce your loan balance. Your CPA confirms your eligibility and the final amount. A transfer option may let you sell the credit for cash; ask your advisor.
Rates move — these numbers are a starting point
The rate and fee above reflect typical terms we’re seeing today, not a quote. Every project is priced on credit review and underwriting, and terms change with the market. We’ll run your project against your own bank and our lender partners so you can compare real numbers side by side.
How the money actually gets released
Commercial construction loans fund in stages, not one lump sum. It protects everyone: the bank only pays for work that has actually been completed, and you are never funding equipment that hasn’t arrived. SolarSesame prepares and submits the funding paperwork to the bank at each stage, so there is nothing for your team to assemble.
Your part is small but critical: at each milestone the bank sends you a short release form for signature.
Sign the release form promptly
The bank will not release funds until that form is signed and returned — no exceptions. Signing it the day you receive it is the single most important thing you can do to keep the project moving: funds flow, equipment and crews stay scheduled, and your installation stays on track. A form that sits unsigned in an inbox can pause work for days.
We’ll flag every release form before the bank sends it, so you always know what’s coming and when your signature is needed.
Run a nonprofit, church, or school?
Learn about IRS Elective Pay credits.
Explore Your Business's Solar Fit
Three quick questions about your business and energy use. This preview does not send or save your answers.
Your Business
Fill in the required fields to continue.
Prefer to talk first? Book a consultation instead.
Run a nonprofit, church, or school?
Learn about IRS Elective Pay credits.
Explore Your Business's Solar Fit
Three quick questions about your business and energy use. This preview does not send or save your answers.
Your Energy
Fill in the required fields to continue.
Prefer to talk first? Book a consultation instead.
Run a nonprofit, church, or school?
Learn about IRS Elective Pay credits.
Explore Your Business's Solar Fit
Three quick questions about your business and energy use. This preview does not send or save your answers.
Your Contact Info
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Prefer to talk first? Book a consultation instead.
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You completed the assessment for your business. This preview does not send your answers to SolarSesame — call us or book a consultation to discuss your property and electricity usage.
Having your last 12 months of utility bills ready helps make a future proposal more accurate.
Run a nonprofit, church, or school?
Learn about IRS Elective Pay credits.
Find Out How Much Solar Makes Sense for Your Business
Think through your daytime use, storage needs and utility costs before a conversation about whether a small system is a good fit.
Explore My Solar FitFor small California businesses • No answers are submitted online