Case Study: Black Mountain’s Dynamite Roasting Co. Moves to Green Energy
To reduce energy costs and further its commitment to sustainability, Dynamite Roasting Co. transitioned to using solar energy for its business — positively impacting the local environment and empowering other businesses to do the same.
The Opportunity:
Since 2008, Dynamite Roasting Co. has brought high-quality sustainable coffees to Black Mountain, North Carolina. Whether it’s sourcing and roasting 100% certified organic coffee from far corners of the world — or supporting local green initiatives, Dynamite Roasting Co. is deeply committed to sustainability.
Josh Gibbs and Andy Gibbon, co-owners of Dynamite Roasting Co., believe it’s important for individuals and businesses alike to do what they can to reduce their environmental impact. To support this value — and accommodate Dynamite’s growing capacity needs, the business recently expanded into a newly constructed facility powered by solar energy.
When Josh and Andy learned the benefits of installing commercial solar panels for their business and the environment, the decision was clear. Going solar was a straightforward way to make a significant impact — and save money while doing it.
The Work:
Cafe:
System type: Net metered rooftop solar
Panels: 24 SunPower 327 watt panels totaling 7.85 kW system
Installed: June 2019
Installers: Sugar Hollow Solar
Roaster:
System type: Net metered rooftop solar
Panels: 156 SunPower 327 watt panels totaling 47.74 kW system
Inverter: SolarEdge
Installed: November 2020
Installers: Sugar Hollow Solar
Sugar Hollow installed commercial rooftop solar panels on both the cafe and new roasting facility. Dynamite’s solar system works through net-metering — a billing system that gives credits to solar owners for their monthly utility bills, depending on how much power they produce.
At night or on when it’s cloudy, net metering allows Dynamite to pull credits they’ve earned from sunny days. So even when the sun isn’t shining, they’re still taking advantage of the solar their rooftop panels produced.
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The Result:
“As a company, we’ve always looked for ways to reduce our environmental impact. Powering our business with renewable energy is just one more step we can take to do our part to ensure a sustainable future,” says Andy Gibbon. Their solar installation reflects their business’ mission and has helped them turn their values into a tangible outcome.
Josh and Andy’s decision to install solar panels has given them a newfound appreciation for their buildings — and allowed them to reduce energy costs too.
Before solar installation on the cafe, their monthly utility bill was around $200. That amount has been reduced down to $120 thanks to their solar system, which provides about 40 percent of their power needs.
With the new facility being in its early stages of use, Dynamite is still in the process of tracking energy savings for the building.
Financial incentives also made it very easy for Josh and Andy to decide to transition to solar. When they considered Duke rebates, federal tax credits, and a FDA REAP grant, they realized their final cost would be low — with a quick return on investment.
In their words:
“Moving my business to solar energy was an easy way to make a big difference that will hopefully inspire others to do the same.
It is interesting that we have turned into educators about solar power in our community. We answer a lot of questions about cost, tax incentives, ease of installation, etc.
When looking at companies to design and install your solar system, be sure that they will help you apply for and secure incentives. The system is complex, and we would have had difficulty navigating the process without Sugar Hollow’s help.
Sugar Hollow has a knowledgeable team in place that communicates well, helps navigate complicated government and utility red tape, and helped us achieve our goal of running our business with solar energy.”
Pictured are founders Andy & Josh. Visit Dynamite Roasting Co. to learn more about them and their fabulous coffee.