Paulson Electric solar array will supply 1/3 of annual energy use

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Paulson Electric began installation Wednesday of a 20-kilowatt  photovoltaic  solar array at its southwest Cedar Rapids headquarters.

Tyler Olson, vice president of Paulson Electric, said the photovoltaic solar array will generate one-third of the company's average annual energy consumption. The solar panels will be connected to an Alliant Energy net meter, which will credit Paulson Electric for the energy produced and actually spin in reverse if production exceeds use at a given point in time.

"Generating our own energy locks in the cost of a third of our electricity at approximately 5 cents per kilowatt hour over the 20-year life of the panels," Olson said. "Energy costs are predicted to rise at 3 percent annually, but even assuming flat energy prices our solar array will pay for itself in seven years."

The return on an investment in onsite energy generation increases with implementation of other energy efficiency measures. Upgrading to more efficient light fixtures, installing occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting and programmable lighting controls all reduce the amount of energy a building requires. Implementing these upgrades before moving to onsite energy generation stretches the investment.

"Solar energy generation is one of many strategies we use to turn customers' necessary energy usage into a competitive advantage," Olson said. "Assessing a facility, recommending efficiencies and determining the feasibility of solar generation are all services we provide clients.

"It was a natural fit to use the same strategies in our own facilities."

In December 2008, the fourth-generation family-owned electrical contracting business moved into a new "green" 17,000-square-foot building at 3050 12th St. SW. The building, which includes 6,000 square feet of office space and 11,000 square feet of warehouse, is heated and cooled with a computer-controlled closed loop geothermal system.

High efficiency fluorescent lighting is used throughout the Paulson Electric building with motion sensors to automatically shut off the lights when a room is not in use. Ceiling fans in the warehouse distribute air to reduce heating costs and a white roof was installed to reflect the sun away from the building.

The 83-year-old electrical contractor also has an electric car charging outlet installed next to its visitor parking lot.

Paulson Electric, corporate parent of low voltage electrical contractor PEC Communications, also has offices in Dubuque and Waterloo.