Herbold Meckesheim USA installs solar energy system

Herbold Meckesheim USA is taking steps to make its Smithfield, Rhode Island, headquarters more environmentally friendly.

In the fall of 2015, the company purchased a rooftop solar energy system to provide electrical power to its 10,000-square-foot facility. The system, which consists of 80 panels, takes up about 20 percent of Herbold’s available roof space and is capable of producing 28,000 kilowatts of energy.

The decision to go solar satisfies two important company objectives, Herbold says: reducing energy costs and supporting environmental stewardship issues.

“We’ve been interested in solar for purely environmental reasons since we built this facility in 2013,” says Herbold President David Lefrancois. “As we looked more closely at the systems available today, we realized that the savings, in terms of energy cost, were dramatic. When we combined the cost reductions with the environmental impacts, going solar was a no brainer.”

Herbold management says it worked closely with RGS Energy to configure and install the new system. Unlike solar leasing or solar service plans, Herbold owns the system. From the day it is activated (expected to be Jan. 4, 2016) Herbold’s electric bill will drop to zero, the company says.

“Based on available State rebates and federal tax credits, we felt that purchasing everything upfront made the most sense for our business,” Lefrancois says. “Our estimates show the system will be fully paid for with energy savings in under three years.”

Unlike some states, in Rhode Island there is no provision to sell excess power back to the utility. However, on days when Herbold is generating more power than it is using, its electric meter will literally spin backwards, and the utility will “bank” energy credits that the company can use on cloudy days or when they are unable to generate sufficient power for its needs, Herbold says.

Herbold Meckesheim USA, a subsidiary of Herbold Meckesheim Germany, designs, manufactures and installs size reduction equipment (shredders, granulators, etc.) and wash-line systems for the plastics industry, specializing in the recycling of industrial and postconsumer plastics.