Energy efficiency company Carbon Lighthouse has worked with San Francisco Bay Area-based Van-Mulder Sheet Metal to limit its energy usage out of its 23,000-sq ft manufacturing facility in Hayward, California, and take advantage of a rooftop solar system.

Van Mulder president Paul Steckel had for years wanted to gain control over his company’s energy bill through rooftop solar, giving him one less variable to manage so he could focus on more risky aspects of running a successful manufacturing and contracting business. Equally important to Steckel was his profound concern about climate change; he wanted Van-Mulder to lessen its environmental impact. But despite his interest in moving forward with solar, the financials were not penciling out.

Carbon Lighthouse began by looking at the problem rather than leading with the solution. Applying its Efficiency Production process to the Van-Mulder site, the company first considered energy efficiency options, such as installing high-efficiency LEDs, but found that a rooftop solar-only solution was the most cost-effective option. In line with Steckel’s commitment to climate action, he also asked Carbon Lighthouse to design the system to compensate for a new electrical vehicle fleet he would charge at the facility.

Ultimate, Carbon Lighthouse installed a 68.3-kW rooftop system with an integrated sensor package to allow for solar system monitoring. The five-year contract should generate $121,200 of savings and eliminate 110,000 kWh of grid-energy annually.

“I felt like that the Carbon Lighthouse team was very technically capable, personable and listened to my needs,” Steckel said. “I felt like I was getting an engineering team that would look at the problem and offer a credible solution.”

Now, the Van-Mulder facility runs on the power of the sun, offsetting the company’s electric bill and guaranteeing this benefit for years to come. This also means Steckel and his team have one less thing to worry about, as they continue to provide stellar sheet metal services to their own customers.

News item from Carbon Lighthouse

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