Paradise Energy Solutions helped a Pennsylvania printing company decrease its energy costs by installing solar across two of its buildings. Mercersburg Printing, a commercial design and printing company, now hosts a 447-kW array made of 1,092 Axitec solar panels, supplying 466,052 kWh of electricity annually.
Credit: Paradise Energy Solutions
Between printing presses, climate control, and lighting, the company’s energy bills make up a significant portion of its operating expenses, and solar will reduce those costs by approximately 60%.
“We live in an area where the cost of electricity isn’t exorbitant at this point,” said Doug Shenberger, owner and president of Mercersburg Printing. “You take a look at some of the other areas of the country where they’re already paying dramatically more for power and realize that may be coming our way.”
With the 26% Solar Investment Tax Credit and 100% Bonus Depreciation, businesses can recoup a significant portion of installation costs in the first year alone. In addition to those widely available incentives, Mercersburg Printing secured a competitive USDA REAP Grant.
“To be able to basically lock in a price for our electric use, or a large part of our electric use, for many years to come is a way to control a cost point when we see a lot of things difficult to control,” Shenberger says. “We look at that savings as something that can give you a little competitive edge over time. There’s also a marketing aspect to that—the ability to be in line with what people are looking for, as far as how their jobs are produced and the impact their jobs are having on the environment.”
Unlike most flat commercial rooftops, the main building at Mercersburg Printing has a rounded roof.
“We had a lot of engineering support to work through how we were going to attach to the rounded trusses and purlins,” said Charlie Allen, project manager at Paradise Energy. “We also had to work with our attachment manufacturer to find an attachment that would allow us to connect to those trusses and also maintain the water seal to the shingles.”
Shenberger added: “It gives you a new appreciation for sunny days. To be able to not just have the sunshine, but know that you’re actually producing electricity with it.”
News item from Paradise Energy Solutions
