32,800 US businesses have now installed solar PV systems, an increase of 40% from 2012. “Solar allows businesses of all sizes to lower their energy expenditures, improve their bottom line, and gain a competitive advantage,” according to a just published industry report, Solar Means Business. The report highlights Fortune 100 companies’ solar installations.

The report highlights top reasons well-run American businesses are turning to solar:

• “For many companies, electricity costs represent the single largest operating expense. The continued fall in solar system prices and the adoption of innovating financing models that reduce up-front costsallow company to dramatically reduce energy expenditures.”
• “Utility price volatility presents a challenge to businesses’ long-term budgets. Solar allows companies to lock in fixed energy prices for decades.”
• “Companies are learning that they can offset tax liability using the federal investment tax credit while powering the facilities as well.”

Solar Means Business 2013, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar).