Solutions
Solar energy for every type of project
Each segment has different consumption, regulations and financing. Choose yours to see what to assess before requesting quotes.
In short
NodoSolar organises solar energy in Colombia into four segments — homes, businesses and retail, industry, and agriculture and rural areas — because three things change between them: when the energy is consumed versus when it is produced, which tariff and incentives apply, and where the system is installed. Those three variables, not the installed capacity, are what determine a project’s return.
Homes
Cut your bill by generating your own energy and offset the surplus with the grid thanks to net metering.
- Sized against your actual consumption
- Net metering with your grid operator
- Financing through a consumer loan or a green mortgage
Businesses and retail
Turn a fixed cost into an investment with the tax benefits of Laws 1715 of 2014 and 2099 of 2021.
- Income tax deduction and VAT exclusion apply
- Daytime consumption: the ideal profile for solar
- Leasing and PPA options with no up-front investment
Industry
Medium and large-scale rooftop or ground-mounted systems to stabilise the energy cost of your operation.
- Load studies and technical feasibility
- Accelerated depreciation of the investment
- Integration with the operation without interrupting it
Agriculture and farms
Reliable energy where the grid is expensive or unstable: solar pumping, refrigeration and battery systems.
- Water pumping with no fuel cost
- Hybrid systems with backup for outages
- Credit lines for the agricultural sector
Comparison
What changes from one segment to another
The equipment is similar; what decides the outcome is not. This table sums up where the real difference lies.
| Segment | What drives the design | Where the value sits | Usual models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes | Monthly consumption and usable roof space | Reducing grid consumption during daylight hours | Outright purchase or a general-purpose loan |
| Businesses and retail | Overlap between opening hours and generation | High self-consumption plus tax benefits | Purchase, leasing or PPA |
| Industry | The plant's hourly load profile | Stabilising a large, volatile operating cost | Purchase with accelerated depreciation, or PPA |
| Agriculture and rural areas | Service quality and distance to the grid | Replacing diesel or solving a lack of grid | Purchase, frequently with battery backup |
Criteria
Five questions before choosing
Answering them before requesting quotes stops you comparing proposals that are not actually comparable.
When you consume
It is the variable that moves the return the most. The energy you use while the system is producing saves you the full tariff; what you export is offset according to what the regulation sets, at a value that need not match it.
What tariff you pay
A commercial or industrial user paying the solidarity contribution saves more per avoided kWh than a subsidised residential user. The same installed capacity performs differently depending on who uses it.
Which tax category applies to you
The benefits of Laws 1715 of 2014 and 2099 of 2021 only add value for someone who files income tax and certifies the project with UPME. In housing that component simply does not exist.
Where you are going to install
Clay tile, metal sheeting, a flat roof or the ground all have different structures, costs and maintenance. On large projects the ground competes with the roof; on housing, almost never.
What happens if the power goes out
A grid-connected system shuts down during an outage for safety. If you need continuity, that is solved separately with batteries or backup, and it is justified by the cost of having no power, not by savings.
Questions about the segments
Frequent doubts when deciding which type of solar project fits your case.
How do I know which segment I fall into?
By the use of the property and the type of tariff you pay, not by the size of the system. A home on a residential tariff falls under “homes” even if it installs 8 kWp; a unit on a commercial tariff falls under “businesses” even if it installs 3 kWp, because the applicable incentives and the consumption profile change.
Is the price per kWp the same across all segments?
No. At greater scale the cost per installed kWp falls, because the fixed project, legalization and mobilisation costs are spread across more capacity. On the other hand, costs appear that do not exist in housing: connection studies, civil works or operation and maintenance contracts.
Why do businesses usually get a better return than households?
For two reasons that compound: a business with daytime opening hours consumes precisely during the generation hours, which maximises self-consumption; and commercial tariffs, with the solidarity contribution, are higher, so every kWh you stop buying is worth more.
Do I need a prior study before requesting quotes?
For housing, twelve months of bills and a photo of the roof are enough. On business and industrial projects, the hourly consumption history and the state of the connection point change the design enough to be worth requesting before committing a budget.
Can I install without paying up front?
In the business and industrial segments yes, through leasing or a power purchase agreement (PPA) in which a third party installs and operates the system. In housing the usual route is a general-purpose loan or the financing the installer itself offers.
Do the four solutions use the same equipment?
The modules are essentially the same. What changes is everything else: type of inverter, structure, protections, monitoring and the associated level of maintenance. An industrial system calls for monitoring with alarms and thermography that would not be justified on a home.
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