When Nuherb installed solar panels on its San Leandro, CA facility, the primary motivation was to lighten the company’s environmental footprint. With higher energy costs, the financial savings were significant.
“As Earth Day approaches many people stop to think about their environmental progress,” said Nuherbs President Wilson Lau. “We are hoping to set an example that encourages more of our peers to take significant steps by reducing consumption and replacing it with a cleaner alternative.”
The system, Sunpower solar panels and Solar Edge inverters, generates in excess of 80,000 kWh annually (in actuality 81,500kWh over the past 12 months). This fully replaced what Nuherbs previously purchased from Pacific Gas & Electric, making the company’s energy usage for their facility carbon neutral. Energy cost savings was initially projected to be $16,000 to $18,000 annually, but in 2023 solar savings was just over $21,000.
Prior to solar panel installation, Nuherbs retrofit all lighting to LED, which reduced kWh consumption by 30,000kWh. This “reduce before you produce” approach shaped the size of the solar PV system that was ultimately installed.
“This type of Solar PV system has a lifespan of more than 25 years, and the average time to pay back the investment is five to six years, but it’s well worth it,” Wilson said. “The next step in our plan is to add batteries, once they become more affordable, so we will generate and use our own power. With climate change-related disruptions to power grids becoming more common, this will allow us to continue operation even during power outages.”
For more information, www.nuherbs.com
