Thinking Green: ESI Supports Environment with Solar Panels
Leave a CommentSolar power usage saving CT manufacturer gas, money, and emissions
Earth Day is just as important in the manufacturing field as it is in the private realm — especially for local metal stamper Engineering Specialties, Inc. (ESI), which saves one hundred tons of CO2 per year with its building’s solar panels.
More than two years ago, ESI worked with Independence Solar to install one of the area’s largest photovoltaic solar panel arrays. The completed project, which required a total of 494 solar panels on the roof of ESI’s 30,500-square-foot metal stamping and machining facility, has a maximum power generation capacity of 124 kilowatts (kW).
“We are happy and excited to be doing our part to reduce our carbon footprint,” said ESI President Ron Delfini. “The energy efficiency we’re achieving is a large aspect of our mission to be a responsible, environmentally-friendly manufacturer.”
Originally anticipated to fulfill about 65% of ESI’s electrical requirements, the system has been performing above expectations — to date, the system generates an average of 70% of ESI’s requirements.
In two years, ESI’s solar panel array has generated over 340,000 kW hours (kWh) of electricity. This amounts to a 250-ton reduction in their carbon footprint. To put it another way, the panels’ energy output is the equivalent of over 28,000 gallons of gasoline — enough to drive 50 cars for a year.
And the solar panels are saving more than just energy.
“Between energy savings and incentive payments, we generate approximately $41,000 a year,” Delfini said.
By generating their own electricity, ESI mitigates spikes in energy prices. Keeping a significant operating cost stable allows them to focus on investing in high-end equipment and technology for the benefit of their clients.
As an added bonus, ESI’s solar panel program also benefits the local Connecticut community. On sunny days, any surplus energy not used by the building is fed back into the grid, helping to keep their neighbors’ energy supply stable and affordable.
ESI’s solar power progress is available online to the public. Numbers, including current and past solar generation, kilowatt hours produced, tons of carbon saved, and more information can be viewed at Live.DeckMonitoring.com/?id=esi.