Valley Casting is the first Maple Grove business to go 100 percent solar.
Owner Benjamin Knutson wanted to augment the company’s other eco-friendly practices for years, and last September he started considering the feasibility of solar power. After that, he worked with Solarflow Energy to install the system, which became operational on July 21. After a seamless changeover, the new system began generating surplus energy, which Valley Casting sends back to the electrical grid.
After labor, fencing and equipment, the price of the conversion was $155,000, but the company expects to recover that cost within eight months. Xcel Energy and the state provide financial incentives, and the excess power provides some additional income to offset the initial cost.
Going solar wasn’t the only change Valley Casting made. Lighting costs have been halved by removing one bulb from each fixture, and a saver switch maximizes the efficiency of the building’s cooling system. Knutson’s green practices aren’t confined to the office. He reduces his personal consumption by using compact fluorescent and LED bulbs at home.
You can check in at the company's website for live updates on the amount of energy they have generated, and how that translates into energy savings.
