After Phil Barton saw how much money he saved on an electric bill, he said he’s going to Vegas: “Our electric bill drop has been phenomenal.”
Barton is co-owner of Barton’s Grand Rental Station in Seaford, Del., which celebrated the ribbon-cutting of a new solar power array on July 13.
Flexera, a solar and renewable energy contractor, planned and installed a system of 272 solar panels on the Barton building’s southern roof in mid-March.
Solar power can be good for businesses looking at the bottom line, explained Jack Riddle, executive vice president of Community Bank of Delaware in Lewes: “The electrical savings are big and forever. From the return-on-investments standpoint, it’s a great investment.”
The Barton’s Grand Rental Station solar array will produce at least 75,000 kilowatt hours of the 100,000 kilowatt hours that it uses annually, said Flexera’s Mike Manlove.
“That’s 75 percent of the power bill eliminated,” Manlove emphasized. “That’s just power they’re making and not buying from the utility, not including SREC sales and other income from the system.”
Although solar panels are not cheap, federal and state grants offer incentives for this green program. Federal grants will pay 30 percent of Barton’s total installation cost, and the state will contribute $20,000, said Finnian McCabe of Flexera.
U.S. Rep. John Carney’s Kent and Sussex County Coordinator Bob Stickels said each federal dollar spent on solar power has four benefits: renewable energy, environmentally clean energy, lower business costs and increased employment.
Due to net metering, the utilities company will also pay Barton’s if the sun produces more energy than the business uses, causing the electric meter to literally spin backward.
Barton’s will also earn certificates for each 1,000 kilowatt hours produced, which can be sold or traded like stock.
Flexera’s John Donato estimated an 8 to 20 percent return on green energy investment, with net returns beginning in three to five years.
“You really see businesses that want to control their costs for the short term and the future, especially electricity, which is one of their highest operating costs,” Donato said. “They’re doing this because they’re afraid of what’s going to happen if, down the road, [the cost of] electricity just skyrockets.”
“Delaware can’t afford not to pursue renewable energy,” said Flexera Vice President Benjamin Farr, noting Delaware’s lack of natural coal but abundance of wind and sun.
Flexera’s Arnie Stein added that the solar panels will eliminate 54,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Barton’s Grand Rental Station also uses geothermal energy. A closed-loop system provides 20 tons of heat and air conditioning within the building. Co-owner Tim Conaway also operates several carwashes
between Seaford, Del., and Salisbury, Md., where he also uses solar power. It seemed inevitable that Barton’s would soon go solar.
Barton’s Grand Rental Station is one of an increasing number of businesses embracing green energy. Stein said Delaware is still in its infancy regarding solar power: “People see it more and more, and they’re curious about what it can do for them.”
Flexera has been in business since 2006 and can perform energy audits for commercial and residential power users. They hold Building Performance Institute certifications, are registered as a Certified Energy Manager, and also hold three certifications with the National Board of Certified Energy Professionals (NBCEP) for solar sales, design and installation. For more information, visit flexera.net. For more information on Barton’s Grand Rental Station in Seaford, visit bartonsgrandrental.com.
