If you manage a commercial building, retail space, or HOA with common-area electricity costs, solar can genuinely move the needle on operating expenses. Commercial projects are different from residential - bigger systems, different incentives (bonus depreciation, accelerated schedules), and more involved permitting.
A commercial solar installer should be doing a detailed load analysis, not just sizing based on roof square footage. They should also understand the interconnection process with your local utility - Pepco, Dominion, or Washington Gas depending on your location - because that timeline can add months to a project.
Commercial systems typically run $0.80-$1.20 per watt installed before incentives. Between the ITC, depreciation, and state incentives, the economics can be quite good depending on your tax situation. Get multiple proposals and make sure each one models the same assumptions so you're comparing apples to apples. Red flag: installers who don't discuss IRS Section 179 or bonus depreciation - it's a significant part of the ROI story for commercial properties.