Tons of Sunshine

At SOLO, Serve Others, Love Others extends beyond our four walls and onto our roof. Thanks to the installation of 176 solar panels in early 2017, SOLO produces solar energy to subsidize our energy usage.

The panels are located on roof of our building and face south to maximize the exposure to the sun. As the day progresses, the solar panels harness the power of the sun and turn it into energy. SOLO has a 50-kilowatt system, the maximum allowable by Kutztown Borough, according to Steve Diehl, Electric Superintendent.

Businesses and residential customers in Kutztown purchase electricity directly from the borough. When SOLO produces more electricity than we need to run our operations, we sell it back to the borough. “SOLO is one of the businesses in the borough that sells electric back to the borough,” said Steve. He noted that in 2018, SOLO generated 6,240 kilowatt hours helping Kutztown borough buy less power from other suppliers. 

Using solar power not only saves dollars, but it make sense, too. Through our efforts we have reduced our carbon footprint. By using solar panels, we have saved the equivalent of:

83 tons of coal

342,765 miles of driving

2,122 trees

While solar panels provide a small portion of our overall energy usage, we also take a commonsense approach to conservation to help reduce our impact on the environment. It’s a collection of small things that make a difference including: turning off lights and equipment that is not in use, installing efficient LED  lighting, purchasing efficient machinery, and consistently striving to reduce our overall use of electricity.

Look at our post from July 2017 to see the progress we’ve made.  Serve Others, Love Others means continuing our mission of being responsible stewards of our resources.  

 

© SOLO Labs 2019

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