C.M. Tucker Lumber PROJECT PROFILE Product 162.5 kW PV Solar System Annual projected savings 30% total campus energy bill Rebates and incentives 30% federal tax credit 25% state tax credit Utility rebate Return on investment Five years Monthly energy savings $2,500 C.M. Tucker Lumber Companies LLC was founded in 1920 by C.M. Tucker Sr., who firmly believed that personal contact, honest products and exceptional service equated to success. C.M. Tucker Lumber is environmentally conscious — preserving wood products to make them last for many years. They own 20,000 acres of timber land and actively manage those acres for the renewable resource, planting two trees for every one they cut down. Renewable energy is important to their customers, with Lowe’s being their largest account. THE SOLUTION Shealy Electrical — now Border States — and Inman Solar met with Tucker Lumber in 2015 to discuss a possible solar project, which would provide education opportunities to local students. Tucker had to decide where to install a roof or ground solar mount. Tucker operates four locations in Pageland, South Carolina, and they have two separate power companies: Lynches River Electric Co-op and Duke Energy. Due to solar rebates and ample space, a roof mount solar array was elected to be installed with Duke Energy. This was a relatively small solar installation (162 kW) and Duke Energy’s first, major, nonresidential South Carolina project (outside of residential installations). C.M. Tucker Lumber was happy to help Duke Energy get up to speed with these energy- and cost-saving installations. The project itself only took about three weeks. There will be net metering on this project and $2,500/month in company savings on electric billing. “The whole project went great. This was totally turnkey — it just happened. We had to dedicate zero management hours other than going to the site and taking pictures as it progressed. Working with Inman and Shealy was tremendous. No worries and painless.” – Mark Tucker, C.M. Tucker Lumber Operations Manager THE RESULTS The Duke rebate, along with state and federal, were factors that made the project viable. The payback on the project is roughly five years, and there is a 20-year warranty on the system.