We are committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner. In April 2011 with the assistance of Sustainable Connections, we installed an array of 45 solar panels on the roof of our building. The work was done by Western Solar. Each panel has the capacity to produce up to 235 watts of energy during optimum conditions, for a total of 10,575 watts during peak production. We had this done for two reasons. With the rising cost of electricity it makes economic sense, and it makes environmental sense because it is a clean and renewable source of energy.
The solar panels are only one of the steps we have taken to decrease our use of electricity. We have also replaced our old heating/air conditioning system with energy efficient ductless heat pumps and had all of our light fixtures retro-fitted with more energy efficient ballasts.
As a result of these changes, we now use approximately 1/3 of the electricity we had previously and will continue to look for more ways we can decrease our energy usage.
