Media Release – Automotive Products Business shines light on solar power
An award-winning business, specialising in metal and plastic fuel containers, is reducing its electricity bills while reducing its carbon footprint since installing a solar system. Martin Haines, managing director of the Bayswater-based company Pro Quip, said switching to solar was in direct response to rising electricity bills and the availability of energy from harnessing sunlight.
“Installing solar technology to power our offices and warehouse made sense. Solar energy reduces our power costs and, with the sun and our business operating during the same hours, supplies our daytime energy use,” he said.
Mr. Haines said installing the 25 kilowatt system on its 750 square-metres of roof space has provided Pro Quip with substantial savings. “Our solar system has been running for 12 months now and our only energy bill in that time was $30. Instead of paying electricity bills we now have credits that we can use. We also received a substantial rebate to install the system, which was a good financial incentive.”
He continued saying that there was a common misconception that the capital outlay for installing solar energy would take a long time to achieve a return on investment. “While a 20 kilowatt system would provide our energy needs, I decided to install a 25 kilowatt system to offset costs.” Mr Haines said he anticipated their solar system installation would recover its initial capital outlay in five to seven years. With the lifespan of the components warrantied at 25 years, this meant he could look forward to 18 to 20 years of effectively free electricity, once the capital component had been fully recouped.
According to Mr Haines, this was not the only way that the solar installation would provide him with a return on investment. “The solar system has added value to my building, which will inevitably fetch higher re-sale and leasing values,” he said.
This same sentiment is reiterated by Mark Tuke, Chief Executive Officer of Sun Connect, the company responsible for Pro Quip’s solar system supply and installation. “A solar installation is an addition to a building. Buildings are a high value investment, often worth millions, so it is worth adding the highest quality solar system. Solar systems add capital value to a building while also reducing energy bills for owners and occupants. This makes a solar power installation a valuable proposition for those commercial businesses interested in reducing running costs,” he said.
“Real estate is a competitive market.
Getting a good resale price on a property is tough and competitive.
But if there are two buildings for sale and they are identical, except that one has a commercial grade solar system, is mainly self-sufficient and basically bullet-proof to electricity price hikes for decades to come, which building do you think will get a significantly higher sale price?”
Mr. Tuke said that higher re-sale values, grid parity and the growing sense of urgency to find ways to hedge against coming carbon costs are the key driving factors for renewable energy markets overseas. European markets in particular have demonstrated that commercial installations with larger systems and high-end components are the smartest way to invest in solar. “Although renewable energy technology is tried and tested overseas, Australia has been slow to adopt this option due to historically cheaper fossil fuel energy costs and a lack of education. “However with businesses, such as Pro Quip, showing their industry peers that renewable energy can be sourced as a competitive option, day one, against grid electricity, we are beginning to see a rapid increase in solar installations in commercial and manufacturing industries. “Pro Quip is leading by example, helping its business and contributing to clean, efficient electricity production.”
* Australian Government, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism fact sheet- ELECTRICITY PRICES
Sun Connect is an award-winning, premium supplier of solar electricity systems. The company has installed over 3,000 systems across Australia.
As a leader in commercial grade solar installations, Sun Connect has designed and installed systems ranging from 10 kilowatts to over 100 kilowatts in Australian urban and rural regions.
Sun Connect has a national network of installers and suppliers to manage commercial client needs and, importantly, will help them reduce their reliance on grid-electricity while reducing their overall electricity costs.