The answer
What can half-hourly readings tell you that a monthly bill cannot?
Half-hourly readings show when your site uses power, not just how much it uses in a month. That helps you see whether solar would be used on site, whether a battery would help and where waste may be hiding.
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Compare weekdays, weekends and seasons
A refrigerated warehouse uses power differently from an office that closes at six, even if their yearly totals match. Plot typical days so you can see when your site needs electricity.
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Would solar power arrive when you need it?
Compare a solar forecast with your meter readings at the same times. That shows how much your business might use directly, store or send to the grid.
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Find out why power use spikes
High overnight use or sharp peaks may be normal, a fault or avoidable waste. Find the cause before buying a battery or promising savings from a pattern that may change.
When would your site use solar power?
Put a solar production forecast beside your half-hourly meter readings. Where they line up, your business may use its own solar power. Power left over could go to the grid or into a battery, subject to the connection and system design. Then check whether the battery would release that power when buying electricity costs more.
Do not base a purchase on one unusually busy summer month. Include quieter weeks, shutdowns and any planned changes to the site. Ask to see the electricity prices, export payments, battery losses and sizes used in the estimate so you can test other scenarios.
What to check next
Your next steps
Where we checked the facts
Check the original information.
These official pages back up the rules and technical details above. They can change, so check them again before spending money or starting work.
Apply this to your own property
Where could your business save energy?
A free survey checks your bills, building use and what improvements may work at your site before you decide what to price.