More than four years ago, Tim Kauffman became fed up with the electricity and gas bills at the physical-therapy company he co-owns in Lancaster County.
Shortly thereafter, 30 solar panels were installed on the roof of Kauffman-Gamber Physical Therapy's main office, near the border of Manheim Township and Lancaster.
The solar-power system provides the office with electricity and hot water, Kauffman said. The hot-water needs at the office include the therapy pool, showers and laundry.
The system saves the company about 90 percent of what it normally paid each year to heat its water, Kauffman said. And it saves the company about 50 percent of what it usually paid annually for electricity, he said.
"We're definitely saving, as far as the amount of energy that we're consuming from the utilities," he said. "For the past two and a half months, I've had the gas line literally shut off and the plug undone, so everything's come from the sun."
Kauffman-Gamber, a private physical-therapy practice, worked with Montgomery County-based SunPower Builders to design and install the system. Kauffman would not disclose the cost of the system but said based on the price of electricity in 2004, the firm expects the system to pay for itself within 15 to 18 years.
On the hot-water end, the system is expected to pay for itself within three to five years, he said.
"It is a big upfront cost, and you have to have the vision to look beyond just the next paycheck," Kauffman said.
SunPower has designed and constructed energy-efficient systems for residential and commercial buildings for more than 30 years, said Kira Costanza, spokeswoman for SunPower.
A system typically can pay for itself within seven to 15 years, depending on the size and cost of the system, she said. Increasing oil prices, the anticipated removal of Pennsylvania utility- rate caps and other factors will significantly reduce the payback period, she said.
The federal government offers a 30 percent tax credit for businesses that install solar systems, Costanza said. This summer, the state Legislature also passed an energy bill that will provide rebates of up to 35 percent for solar installations, she said. The program has yet to be administered.
"The only hesitation is cost, but this is starting to change. People want solar. We get cold calls all day long from businesses hoping to reduce their environment impact and utility costs," she said. "For businesses, more than for home-owners at this time, it is becoming a reality."
http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/article.asp?aID=27253723.8692743.892242.1984936.1155599.768&aID2=68625
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