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Solar Convenience Store Calculator

Refrigeration runs 40-60% of your electric bill — and all day during solar hours. Enter your store details and see why c-stores have some of the best solar ROI in retail.

Store details
sqft
units
units
W
Operations & financials
$/kWh
sqft
Solar system for your convenience store
161.9 kW system — 405 × 400W panels
Note: Your roof fits ~90 panels (36.0 kW). Consider adding fuel canopy solar panels to reach full offset.
Solar match insight: Your refrigeration load is ~7% of total energy — and it runs all day, including during solar production hours. This makes c-stores one of the best solar matches in retail.
Daily kWh usage647 kWh/day
Annual kWh236,316 kWh/yr
Annual electricity cost$33,084/yr
System cost (before tax)$404,650
ITC (30% federal tax credit)-$121,395
MACRS depreciation benefit-$85,988
Net cost after ITC + MACRS$197,267
Annual energy savings$33,084/yr
Est. demand charge reduction~$19,812/yr
Payback period6.0 yrs
Energy load breakdown
Refrigeration
7%
Lighting
32%
HVAC
54%
Signage
4%
Other
2%
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How to Use This Calculator

Enter your store size and refrigeration count

Square footage and refrigeration unit count are the two biggest drivers of c-store electricity use. Refrigeration (open cooler sections and freezers) typically represents 40-60% of total electricity consumption — making it the single most important factor. Count each door section on your walk-in cooler wall as one unit, and count chest freezer and reach-in freezer cases separately.

Set signage wattage and operating hours

Exterior signage runs 24/7 and represents 5-15% of load. LED signs draw 200-500W; large illuminated canopies with price signs can draw 1,000-3,000W. Toggle 24/7 if your store never closes — this substantially increases HVAC and lighting load even though refrigeration runs around the clock regardless.

Read the solar match insight

The key reason c-stores are excellent solar candidates: refrigeration compressors cycle on and off all day, including during peak solar production hours (10am-3pm). Unlike evening loads, your cooling load runs in parallel with solar generation — meaning more of your solar production is consumed on-site rather than exported to the grid at a lower rate.

The Formula

Refrigeration Load = Units × 500W × 50% duty + Freezers × 300W × 60% duty Lighting Load = Sqft × 6 W/sqft × Operating Hours HVAC Load = Sqft × 10 W/sqft × Operating Hours Signage = Input Watts × 24 hrs (always on) Daily kWh = Refrigeration (24 hrs) + Other Loads × Hours Annual kWh = Daily kWh × 365 System Watts = (Daily kWh × 1000) ÷ PSH ÷ 0.80 System Cost = System Watts × $2.50/W installed ITC = System Cost × 30% MACRS Benefit = (System Cost × 85%) × 25% Demand Savings = Peak Output kW × $12/kW × 12 months

The demand charge reduction is often as significant as the energy savings for commercial c-stores. Most commercial utility tariffs include a demand charge of $8-20/kW/month based on your 15-minute peak demand. Solar production during the afternoon peak (typically 1-4pm) directly reduces this charge — sometimes saving more per year than the energy reduction alone.

Example

Marcus — Medium c-store with gas in Georgia

Marcus owns a 2,500 sqft convenience store with 6 refrigeration sections, 2 freezer cases, and an illuminated fuel canopy. He operates 16 hours/day and pays $0.14/kWh commercial rate in Georgia.

Store2,500 sqft, Georgia
Refrigeration6 cooler units + 2 freezers
Operations16 hrs/day, 365 days
Rate$0.14/kWh

Result

Refrigeration load~52% of daily energy
Annual kWh~180,000 kWh/yr
Annual electricity cost~$25,200/yr
System size~67 kW (167 panels)
System cost~$167,500
Net after ITC + MACRS~$82,000
+ Demand savings/yr~$6,800/yr
Payback~2.6 years (with demand)

Marcus's refrigeration load aligns perfectly with solar — his coolers cycle all day while his panels are producing. Combined energy and demand charge savings of ~$32,000/year create an exceptionally fast payback. The fuel canopy also offers additional mounting area, which many c-store owners use to expand their solar capacity.

FAQ

Three reasons: (1) Load matching — refrigeration runs continuously, including during peak solar hours. Unlike evening loads that need batteries, your cooling load consumes solar as it's produced, maximizing self-consumption. (2) Demand charges — the solar array reduces afternoon peak demand, cutting demand charges that can be 20-40% of a c-store's electric bill. (3) Scale and roof area — c-stores have large flat roofs relative to their consumption, and fuel canopies offer additional panel area. Combined ITC + MACRS incentives make commercial solar even more attractive.
In a typical convenience store, refrigeration (open cooler sections plus freezer cases) represents 40-60% of total electricity use. Open refrigerated cooler sections are particularly energy-intensive because they have no door — the cold surface is constantly exposed to warm store air. Adding glass doors to open sections can reduce refrigeration energy by 30-50%, and that upgrade pairs well with solar since it reduces the total system size needed.
A demand charge is a separate line item on commercial utility bills based on your peak power draw (in kW) during a 15-minute window each month. Rates vary from $5-25/kW/month. For a c-store drawing 60 kW peak at $12/kW, that's $720/month in demand charges — nearly $8,600/year. Solar panels reduce your demand during peak solar hours (10am-4pm), which often coincides with the utility's peak pricing period. A well-sized solar array can reduce demand charges by 40-70% on top of energy bill savings.
Yes — fuel canopy solar is increasingly common and advantageous. The canopy structure is already engineered for significant loads, making solar installation straightforward. Canopy solar also provides shade for customers, which is a selling point in hot climates. Permitting requirements for fuel canopy solar differ from rooftop solar and may require fire marshal approval. The typical c-store fuel canopy is 40×60 feet (2,400 sqft), accommodating 100+ additional solar panels beyond the store rooftop.
24/7 stores have higher total consumption so need larger systems, but the solar self-consumption percentage is roughly similar since refrigeration (the main 24/7 load) runs around the clock regardless. The advantage for 24/7 stores is that demand charges are typically higher — more customers during all hours means a higher peak demand — so demand charge reduction from solar is proportionally more valuable. Without batteries, a 24/7 store still imports from the grid at night for lighting and HVAC, but the daytime solar production significantly offsets the refrigeration load.

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