Solar energy is back in vogue. The technology for drawing power from the sun has been around for decades, but in the 20th century, it wasn’t truly viable. Solar panels were ugly and there wasn’t a very effective way to store solar energy or even re-direct it to a useful degree.
That has all changed. With modern photovoltaic cells and the innovations introduced by enterprising eco-friendly entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and SolarCity, homes all over the country are “going solar.” People are looking for ways to be eco-friendlier and save money — and today’s solar panels are it.
But where does that leave manufacturing companies? Can they benefit from solar energy solutions as well? The answer is absolutely. Here are three ways in which solar energy can be great for manufacturing companies.
Branding
You may have noticed that more and more companies are branding themselves as environmentally friendly. Construction companies boast of “green” building practices while food services promise sustainable inventory. When it comes to the environment, manufacturing plants have often been the villains, conjuring up images of huge smokestacks continuously pumping thick, black, atmosphere-choking smoke into the air.
Being able to brand yourself as an environmentally-conscious company that uses solar energy can be great for public relations.
Efficiency
What are you doing with the roof of your warehouse? Probably nothing, right? Square foot after square foot of open space going completely unused. Why not turn all that space into an energy-generating source? That’s just what you can do by outfitting it with solar panels.
You’re probably not concerned with your roof’s appearance, although many of today’s solar panel roofs are quite stylish, and you have an opportunity to make use of a part of your facility that you have probably largely ignored up until this point.
Cost-Cutting
Probably the most important way that a manufacturing company can benefit from solar energy is that it will save you money. Most manufacturing plants use a lot of power. You may not be able to get all the power you need from solar panels, but you don’t have to. A photovoltaic array allows you to control just how much energy you get from the power grid. The more solar energy you draw, the less you need to rely on the power grid and the more money your company saves.
If you’re still skeptical that the switch to solar energy can significantly benefit your manufacturing business, you don’t have to jump in with both feet right away. Try adding a photovoltaic array to just one of your facilities or even to just part of one and see what kind of benefits you reap. If it works out, you’ll save a little money and you can expand your investment in solar.
If you decide it’s not for you, you will have lost very little. Solar energy may well be the wave of the future. Just in case it is, you should consider seeing what it can do for you.