A year and a half ago, William B. Meyer, Inc. began to investigate various green initiatives with the aim of replacing a portion of its current electric power systems with clean energy. Based on its evaluation of different energy options, William B. Meyer, Inc. will install solar panels on its Stratford and Windsor, CT warehouses.
To evaluate its needs before going green, William B. Meyer, Inc contracted Spire Solar Systems, the EPC division of Spire Corporation based in Bedford, Massachusetts. Spire Solar Systems is a global leader in solar technology and engineers systems to withstand and exceed harsh New England climate conditions. Its engineers will evaluate how a solar PV system will perform at each warehouse location. Spire has also agreed to provide calculated metrics specific to each location and will thus be able to optimize the amount of direct sunlight each panel can absorb.
The solar PV system, despite its relatively small size, has the ability to convert sunlight into usable electricity to help power MEYER warehouses for 30 or more years. Combined, the two solar PV systems are expected to produce 264,624 kWh per year. That is equivalent to the power used by approximately 586 homes over the lifetime of the system. It will satisfy 30 % of all power needs at William B. Meyer, Inc.’s larger Windsor warehouse, and over 70% at a smaller warehouse in Stratford. With this technology, William B. Meyer, Inc. will offset 203 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Using the sun’s clean energy to power the warehouse over fossil fuels or other hydrocarbon materials, will eliminate the release of harmful gases or pollutants into the atmosphere. Over the lifetime of each system, more than 10,000 lbs of nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides would be eliminated. That is the equivalent of removing 42 automobiles a year from the streets, or planting 93 acres of trees.
Aside from providing a clear benefit to the environment, the decision to use solar power at its Windsor and Stratford warehouses will also generate an attractive financial return. Installation of the solar PV system will qualify William B. Meyer, Inc. for a partnership with Connecticut-based utility companies, making the company eligible for financial return based on the amount of energy it will generate. This when coupled with the savings that will be generated from creating its own electricity meant that William B. Meyer, Inc. will experience a two-fold savings. William B. Meyer, Inc. will continue to look to alternative green energy solutions and will likely install more solar panels in the future. Joseph Pesticci, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for William B. Meyer, Inc., states, “We have a commitment to this project not only because of the environmental benefit but also because it represents a sound business decision for William B. Meyer, Inc.”
