Alternate Energy Secrets

Not all shifts in thinking have to include parking your car and walking. This guy in Van Nuys California has taken advantage of Federal Government money to convert one of his 5 car washes to be powered by Solar. His car wash uses the same amount of power as 28 homes. By strategically making these conversions, we can reduce our impact on our environment and put money in your pocket. Want to know how fast Sean Shouhed will pay off his investment? Read the story and start planning to put cash in your pocket…

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Rebate program makes solar-powered car washes possible
Retrofit heats water, makes electricity

Julia M. Scott
Los Angeles Daily News

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Saving the planet and making money don’t often go hand in hand, but at Sean Shouhed’s car wash in Van Nuys the two are perfect companions.

Shouhed spent $677,000 to install solar panels on the roof of his business this summer, making Valley Car Wash the first automotive cleaning outfit to run on energy captured from the sun’s rays. With state and federal rebates worth $273,000, Shouhed, 50, will break even in 10 years, he said.

“I’m living in (the environment); my kids are living in it,” Shouhed said. “Financially it is to my benefit as well.”

Saving money through renewable energy is a concept that is quickly gaining ground.

“We’re seeing a very strong increase in awareness and interest in solar,” said Kim Hughes, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which serves 1.4 million customers in Los Angeles.

That spike is due, in large part, to the rebates available.

A $150-million US DWP rebate program for businesses as well as homes was so popular that officials stopped it in 2003 after receiving more than 600 applications. Since restarting it last month, the DWP has already received 99 requests.

The state put up $3 billion in incentives over 11 years in hopes of getting one million new solar systems installed on roofs across the state.

Federal tax credits are available, too. Businesses can get a tax credit worth 30 per cent of the cost of the solar installation. Residents are eligible for the same credit, up to $2,000. The credit expires at the end of next year.

In California, energy providers such as the DWP are upping their reliance on solar power and other types of renewable energy.

Now the DWP gets about six per cent of its energy from renewable sources such as dams, wind and gases captured from landfills, Hughes said. In four years it hopes to triple that, in line with goals set by elected officials.

Renewable energy has its drawbacks. The electricity supply is unreliable, said Amy Morgan, a spokeswoman for the California Energy Commission. At night and on cloudy days, the panels don’t suck up as much juice.

The panels take up a lot of room and can be an eyesore. Toxins such as lead, arsenic and acetone are used to make the silicon solar panels. Those who invest in solar panels won’t see a return on their investment for years.

The downsides to solar did not turn off Shouhed, whose decision to invest in solar was as much prompted by his environmentalism as his shrewd business sense. He already uses high-efficiency machines and recycles water at the car wash.

“I think about how to save money,” Shouhed said in the shadows of the whirling cleaning machines. “To make a profit you have to cut costs.”

And one of his main costs is electricity.

To run the wipers and blowers and washers, the car wash uses about 85 kilowatts an hour. An average-size home uses about 3 kilowatts an hour.

The 552-silicone solar panels perched atop his roof should generate enough energy to decimate his $4,500 monthly electricity bill.

Each shiny, metallic blue panel soaks up sunbeams, loosening minuscule particles called electrons. A conductor makes the electrons all flow in the same direction, creating an electrical current.

On clear sunny days, the panels absorb enough sun rays to contribute back to the city’s power grid. A small black arrow in the electrical room of the car wash flashes backward when solar sources outpace the wash’s use of electricity.

Planning the project and installing each panel took about four months.

Shouhed is still waiting for his first rock-bottom power bill but already wants to install solar systems on his four other car washes.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 12th, 2006 at 9:43 am and is filed under Solar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.