What utility data should I collect before starting a clean energy project?
Gathering 12 months of utility bills, your rate tariff, and interval data gives solar providers the foundation for accurate system sizing and savings estimates.
Understanding your building's energy profile is one of the most important steps before pursuing a solar or storage project. The more granular your data, the more accurate your proposals will be. Here's what to collect and why.
Twelve months of utility bills provide a baseline picture of your building's weekly and monthly energy patterns. At minimum, you want billing period dates, monthly energy consumption in kWh, and monthly cost in dollars. This data is typically available in spreadsheet format from your utility's online portal or facilities manager.
Your rate tariff (or rate schedule) is the pricing plan your utility uses to calculate your bill. Identifying it helps you and your solar provider understand when electricity is most expensive and where solar can offset the highest charges. It also reveals whether a rate switch — moving to a tariff that's more favorable with solar — might make sense. Look for the words "Rate Schedule" or "Tariff" on your most recent bill. Some tariffs are time-of-use (TOU), meaning they charge more during peak demand hours and less during off-peak periods, which directly affects how solar and storage systems are sized and operated.
Interval data captures your consumption at 15, 30, or 60-minute intervals, giving a much more detailed picture of your load profile. This granularity helps with sizing solar systems accurately, evaluating battery storage economics, identifying demand response opportunities, and selecting the most cost-effective rate tariff. You can typically download interval data from your utility's online portal, request it directly from your utility, or obtain it through the federal government's Green Button program.
If you don't have direct access, your facilities manager likely has credentials for the utility account. Organizations with large portfolios may also have energy management software that can export this data. As a last resort, you can submit a Letter of Authorization to your utility, who can manually export the data for you.