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What Happens in a Commercial Site Review

Guide · Commercial solar & battery · ~5 min read

A site review is where a good commercial solar and battery job either succeeds or comes unstuck. It's the difference between a system built for your building and a number pulled off a spreadsheet.

Why the Site Review Matters

No two commercial buildings are the same. Your roof structure, switchboard, energy use pattern and network connection all shape what's possible and what makes sense. A remote quote can only ever be a guess.

At ATI we send our own in-house team, not a subcontractor, to look at the things that actually determine your outcome. The goal is a system that fits your building and your bills, whether that's a modest rooftop array or something closer to the megawatt scale we've delivered on projects like the 415kW rooftop at DB Santasalo in Bulli.

Assessing the Roof and Structure

The roof is where most of the design decisions get made. We check the material, orientation, pitch and condition, and look for shading from plant, parapets and neighbouring buildings that could affect output across the day.

We also consider structural loading and how panels will be mounted safely, along with safe access for our installers and for future maintenance.

• Roof type, age and condition
• Orientation, pitch and usable area
• Shading from rooftop plant or surrounds
• Structural capacity and mounting approach
• Safe access and fall protection

The Electrical Side: Switchboard and Connection

Solar and batteries have to tie into your existing electrical infrastructure, so we inspect your main switchboard, metering and cable runs to understand what upgrades, if any, are needed.

We also confirm your network connection details, since your distributor sets rules on how much you can install and export. As a CEC and SAA accredited installer, we design to those requirements from the outset rather than discovering surprises later.

• Main switchboard capacity and condition
• Metering and cabling paths
• Network export limits and connection requirements
• Room for inverters and battery hardware

Understanding How You Use Energy

Sizing a commercial system well means understanding when you actually use power, not just how much. We review your load profile and interval data to see your daytime demand, peaks and overnight use.

This is where the design gets sharp. A business running heavy machinery through the day has very different needs to one that spikes in the evening, and that shapes both the solar and battery sizing.

Tariffs and AI Energy Arbitrage

Your tariff structure is a big part of the picture. We look at how you're charged for energy and demand, because that determines where the savings can be found.

Our differentiator is AI-driven energy arbitrage: a battery that charges when power is cheap and discharges or exports when it's dear. Whether that adds up for your site depends on your tariff and network, and the site review is where we work out if it's worth pursuing for you.

• Energy and demand charge structure
• Time-of-use patterns worth targeting
• Whether battery arbitrage suits your tariff

What You Get Afterwards

Once we've gathered the details on site, we put together a design and proposal built on real measurements from your building, not assumptions. That means a clearer view of what's realistic and what it's likely to deliver.

Savings and returns vary by site, tariff and network, and none of this is financial advice, so real figures only come once we've seen your site. If you'd like us to take a look at your building, get in touch and we'll arrange a site review.

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