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Largest Solar Energy Installation in Michigan
3/18/2010
The system comprises 636 3-by-5-foot solar panels that cover a 15,000 square-foot area atop the Padnos recycling facility.
Grand Rapids, MI - The new installation is the largest of its kind undertaken by Cascade Renewable Energy, a division of Cascade Engineering. The system comprises 636 3-by-5-foot solar panels that cover a 15,000 square-foot area atop the Padnos recycling facility. As an initial step in the installation, the facility’s roof was covered with a 30,000-square-foot white rubber membrane to allow for better heat reflection, a key factor in maintaining optimal system performance in all seasons.
“It may seem a bit counterintuitive to launch a solar energy project in Michigan at a time of year when additional snowfall is still a distinct possibility,” said Fred P. Keller, Cascade’s Chairman and CEO, “The Cascade and Padnos teams agree this project illustrates both the year-round capability of today’s solar energy solutions and the real hope that renewable energy can offer the state’s struggling economy.”
The installation is intended to achieve significant cost savings and greater energy selfsufficiency for Padnos over time. Working with Consumers Energy, Cascade Renewable Energy and Padnos developed a long-range plan that taps Consumers’ Experimental Advanced Renewable Program (EARP), a recently launched solar energy pilot initiative. During the initial phase of Padnos’ contract with Consumers, the utility will pay preferred rates for the energy produced at Padnos’ facility, offsetting the facility’s energy costs. After a period of twelve years, the power generated at the facility will be connected directly to Padnos’ meter, significantly reducing the building’s usage.
“Our new installation was facilitated by a beneficial solar incentive program, but it took a highly committed group of
individuals from the Cascade and Padnos teams to develop something truly innovative on this scale,” said Jeff Padnos, President of Padnos Iron & Metal.
“Padnos has long excelled as a leader in the recycling industry through our environmental and quality systems, and we were able to bring this experience to bear in making this project a reality,” explained Padnos. “For example, some of the recycled aluminum used in the system was reclaimed and processed at one of our own facilities, extending its usefulness in a new and compelling way. Creating this first-of-its-size solar installation is an exciting expansion of our expertise and environmental commitment, and a path we hope many other businesses will emulate.”
“Cascade’s collaboration with Padnos is about the kind of innovation that can take place between two companies that share a long history of trust,” added Keller. “Our partnership goes back to the business Jeff’s father conducted with my father more than 60 years ago. Having that relationship as our foundation has played an integral part in taking this opportunity to what it is today.”