Alternative energy service supplier Realgy LLC has completed installation of a 37.5 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on the roof of an Evanston warehouse.
The warehouse at 2100 Greenleaf St. belongs to Lake Line Deliveries, a privately-owned moving and storage company.
“The roof wasn’t being used but to keep us dry,” Lake Line President Jay Collier said in a news release. “The solar panels will generate clean solar energy enough to satisfy most of our annual electricity requirements.”
Realgy supplies power to Lake Line and owns the new solar system. Realagy’s president, Michael Vrtis, says his firm paid for the installation to generate renewable energy locally as part of its sustainability commitment.
The system was installed by Renewable Energy Alternatives of Northbrook. Renewable’s president, Bernie Schmdt, said, “Lake Line’s warehouse with a flat roof and southern exposure was a great building” for the solar installation.
Realgy says the system will produce over 48, 907 kilowatt hours of energy annually, enough to power about two average U.S. homes for a year, reducing carbon dioxide output by about 18 tons a year, compared to using fossil fuels to produce the same amount of electricity.
Evanston warehouse sprouts solar array
Bravo and a great opportunity to shine a light (or utilize it)…
Thanks to all involved for reducing our communal carbon footprint!
Brian G. Becharas
Energy Education Associates
How Much
I guess you can say "good neighbor" but as with most solar arrays in the northern part of the country, it will never come close to paying for itself and can not stand on its own in the summer or winter.
Kudos to Lake Line, and good
Kudos to Lake Line, and good luck! While payback is measured against the fluctuating cost of traditional forms of energy, most PV systems in the Northeast have a payback period of about 20 years, less if subsidies are involved. Realgy wouldn't be financing this if it was a losing proposition.
Also keep in mind that fossil fuel or nuclear power that do not have payback periods. And while not perfect, solar comes with a lot less baggage.
The real breakthrough will come when we solve the challenge of cheap energy storage.
Life Span of Solar Panels
Solar panels have an average life span of 25 years before they stop producing energy. On the downside, they produce less energy each year, starting with year one. They lose about 6 – 7 percent of their value each year from the previous year. If you start out requiring the use of Solar power 95% / Commercial power 5% by the end of 10 years the ratio will be 50-50, unless you replace your solar panels during that time. You can not make your money back in the northern part of the country.
These are only estimates, since nobody has actually test these time frame using solar panels made in the last 3 – 4 year for 25 years. The solar panels made 20 years ago only lasted for 4 – 5 years.
I'm sure that solar panels will improve as time goes by but there is no way they can be cost effective, today, in this part of the country.