Does ROI in less than four years sound appealing? It did to Birkel Electric. That is why the company has not only signed a partnership to install solar panels, they have installed a bank of 44 on the roof of the company’s headquarters in Chesterfield.
While solar energy has taken hold in other parts of the country, Missouri’s cheap power has lead to hesitancy among Missouri home and business owners to make the move. But the team at Birkel speaks in a language all can understand, the language of saving money.
By installing the new solar panels, Birkel became eligible for tax breaks from the federal government and credits from Ameren. After reducing the installation price from those credits, Birkel is already saving about $130 every month on their Ameren bill. And when there is no one in the building on Sunday’s, Birkel is actually making money in the form of credits from Ameren. That is because the newest generation of solar panels is actually connected to the electric grid, which has made solar much more affordable and easy to install.
When solar panels are installed, Ameren will also install a special meter. That meter has the ability to spin backwards when the building is feeding back into the power grid, as opposed to taking power out. Meaning that Birkel is literally generating electric for the electric company.
The solar panels at Birkel are capable of producing up to 10 kW of power and are all made in the USA, coming with an expected 25 year life cycle. And don’t worry about their durability, these solar panels are built to withstand extreme weather, including hail.
If you are interesting in the savings we are seeing at Birkel, keep a lookout for an upcoming meter on our website to show our savings at that very moment. We are always available to answer your questions about solar energy at Birkel.