Shealy Electrical Solar Roof PROJECT PROFILE Product 67 kW PV Solar System Annual projected savings 30% Total Campus Energy Bill Rebates and incentives 30% federal tax credit 25% state tax credit Palmetto Clean Energy rebate Return on investment Six years Project cost $175,000 Shealy Electrical — now Border States — built an off-site storage building for large and long-term projects. We decided to use the warehouse roof to create savings within the company by adding a solar system. With federal and state tax credits available to develop and utilize clean energy, we were able to obtain the tax credits to reduce the expense of adding a solar PV system in Columbia, South Carolina. Our Clean Energy Director, Jim Woods, spearheaded the project and was able to build a custom system with a design that was functional and sustainable. THE SOLUTION Jim studied our average annual energy consumption across all three buildings on the Columbia campus and compared it to the system design that we could fit atop our project warehouse. The following items were considered when deciding on the system: Federal and state tax credit Palmetto clean energy rebates Reduced utility bills Net metering System depreciation tax benefit Jim was able to build a system that included 252 Solarworld 265-watt monocrystalline modules, a standing seam mounted racking system and one Solectria PVI60 inverter with Solrenview Monitoring and weather station. The system was installed in just under four weeks. With the opportunity to lead by example and “walk the walk” by being green, a more sustainable company was obtained. The PV solar system also serves as a training device and informational piece to customers who are interested in getting involved in the solar installation business. THE RESULTS Comparing 12 months’ worth of SCE&G bills, the projected output of the system would supply about 30% of the total campus energy spend. We are ahead of performance projections, which means the return on investment of six years is accurate. ROI calculations include federal, state and Palmetto Clean Energy rebates, reduced utility bills through net metering and system deprecation tax benefit, all while greening our energy usage.