CEP

LAWRENCE–Doing something good for the bottom line can be good for the environment and community too.

That’s the story that one company in Lawrence, Kan., is planning to tell to state and local legislators, and community and business leaders at an upcoming open house where Kansas Secretary of Commerce Antonio Soave is scheduled to speak.

Build SMART (buildsmartna.com) is a manufacturer of modular wall panels and foundation forms that make extremely energy-efficient construction affordable and simple. Late last year, owners of sister companies Build SMART and PROSOCO investigated how a solar array installed on the Build SMART building’s rooftop would affect its energy bills and its bottom line.

The results were surprising – they would yield a return on investment and immediate cost savings for both companies. Company officials learned that the panels will save $14,000 in the first year, and $592,000 over 25 years. A return on investment will be realized within just six years of installation, and the community and state will benefit from the reduction of peak power demand on the electric utility. As an added benefit, the implementation of the solar array aligns with both companies’ focus on providing energy-efficient products and services to the construction industry.

“The decision to invest in solar energy came from a desire for our operations to match the energy-efficient, resilient properties of our products,” said David Boyer, President and CEO of Build SMART and PROSOCO. “Throughout the process, we realized that it’s really not as difficult or cost-prohibitive as we’d anticipated, and that’s the lesson we want to share with our neighbors, community and elected officials. Regardless of whether you live in a state that’s business-friendly for renewable energy or not, solar energy can benefit your bottom line, your community and the environment. That’s what we hope to demonstrate.”

At the open house scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, from 9:30-11 a.m., Kansas Secretary of Commerce Antonio Soave is scheduled to speak, as well as officials from Build SMART, PROSOCO, solar array provider Brightergy and the Clean Energy Business Council. Tours, refreshments and a micro-exhibit of vendors will also be available for the media.

The Clean Energy Business Council, part of the Hutchinson-based Climate and Energy Project (CEP),  expands opportunities for business access to wind, solar, geothermal and waste-heat recovery systems and energy efficiency in Kansas and the Greater Kansas City Metro.