The case for commercial solar in Asheville and Western NC is strong; commercial solar benefits a business’ bottom line through reduced overhead while proving values of sustainability and environmental protection.

The Opportunity:

Transitioning to clean energy is about investing in the future and the time is now. We now know fossil fuels pollute our air and directly contribute to rising global temperatures, while renewable energy sources are plentiful and a cheaper option in the long run. The clean energy revolution is here and customers are beginning to take notice.

Sure, solar panels are a technology, but they’re also more. Solar unites communities of people who believe a better future is possible. More and more business owners are leading the way towards a cleaner, brighter future for our WNC communities.

A Look Out

The transition to renewable energy is happening worldwide, and every time you add power generation via commercial solar panels, you’re reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. Solar photovoltaic panels currently provide 2.8% of the United States’ energy production, according to the Energy Information Administration’s report from early 2022. This percentage is expected to increase significantly in the coming years.

Western North Carolina is an area fully committed to having a local impact; initiatives in Asheville and the surrounding towns and counties focus on keeping dollars local and helping the area to thrive.

Businesses in WNC want to live their values and make it clear to their customers that they invest locally. More than ever before, customers are expecting companies to put their values front-and-center in everything from their sustainability efforts to their product sourcing.

Choosing solar electricity reduces the emissions that would otherwise come from fossil-fuel-based energy generation, which makes for cleaner air and water locally. Consumers worldwide are more willing to pay more for a sustainably-sourced product, and this particular area of North Carolina is no exception.

Local governments like the City of Asheville and Buncombe County Government have made strong commitments to using all renewable energy within the next few years, and choosing solar is a way to join them in this commitment.

A Look In

The intangible benefits of solar are enormous, but so can be the impacts to a business' bottom line. Energy costs are often a big part of a company's overhead, and these costs can go up unexpectedly when utilities raise rates, as Duke Energy Progress in North Carolina has already requested to do in the coming years. As the grid supplies more and more energy to the transportation sector with the growth of electric vehicles, electricity costs are projected to rise rapidly in the coming years as the utilities try to keep up with growing demand.

“There are many reasons businesses choose to go solar but lowering current operating costs and avoiding their future increases directly contributes to the security of their business,” says Jake Feltenberger, Sugar Hollow’s Commercial Solar Developer. “All businesses need energy to produce their goods and services. Having control of an input creates security, and that security starts on day one.”

Having solar allows a business to opt out of volatility in the energy market and the constant threat of rising utility rates. Additionally, tax incentives and other eligible grants help offset the initial cost of the solar installation.

“Federal tax incentives have never been better,” explains Jake. “A 30% tax credit coupled with the ability to depreciate 80% of the system's cost in the first year means that usually 40% of the system's cost can be returned in that first year. Depending on the company's location and size they may be able to qualify for small business grants increasing that percentage beyond 50%. It's pretty amazing that a system that may pay for itself in 5-9 years (sometimes less) will continue to make energy for another 25 years.”

Companies who own property can turn that property into a source of returns, creating security for their company’s bottom line.

“The question for the business is, do they want to make use of an asset that they never realized they had....their roof, their open land,” says Feltenberger. “When they do, they're directly lessening their burden on the grid. Solar is that answer to keep the lights on, and it does it without emitting a toxic byproduct.”

A Look Forward for these businesses

Growing a Local Iconic Business With Solar: Dynamite Roasting

Dynamite Roasting Company was already committed to sustainable practices when they began their journey to generating solar power in Western North Carolina.

“We're founded as a Certified Organic and Certified Fair Trade coffee roastery company. We've always tried to practice as many sustainable practices as we can, from recycling to composting our used coffee grounds, buying fuel efficient coffee roasters. So solar power just made a lot of sense for doing what we do,” says Dynamite Roasting Co-Founder, Andy Gibbon.

Knowing where all their business inputs come from allows them to feel confident that their tasty coffee roasts have a positive community impact in addition to keeping happy customers energized.

“Sugar Hollow did a good job walking us through the entire process. One of the real benefits for working with Sugar Hollow Solar was their assistance in obtaining grants and in the tax process and the construction process too,” says Gibbon. “They really held our hand as we went through, so there weren't any real concerns.”

Dynamite Roasting Co. opted for a smaller 7.85 kW system for their cafe and a large 47.74 kW system on their roasting production facility, for a total of 24 panels in one location and 156 panels at the production facility. The grants available and tax incentives at the time allowed for a rapid payback period and from then on, the solar installation produced all the production facility’s energy, and more!

“This is an affordable and efficient way to move ahead and to be a leader in your community. We reaped the advantages both socially and economically. We produce more power through our solar panels than we are able to consume, there's no gas costs, there's no emissions, we don't have an electricity bill on our entire production facility,” says Gibbon.

Being less dependent on unreliable price fluctuations is a huge benefit. As an example, Dynamite Roasting has invested in an electric delivery van that can charge off their solar panels, meaning that a big jump in gas prices doesn’t affect their bottom line when it comes to coffee delivery costs.

The panels are a talking point, particularly at their retail location, where customers stopping for a cup of coffee generally end up chatting about Dynamite’s solar system. The process has taught Andy a lot, making him an impromptu educator and ambassador for those who are interested in going solar and want to know his experience.

Andy is a wholehearted supporter at this point: “It just makes sense,” he says, when it comes to the business case for solar. “The economic advantages are huge, 100%, there's nothing else - it's good coffee through solar power!”

Check out Andy’s video with Sugar Hollow here.

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Solar Sustains Local Small Businesses: Oak & Grist Distillery

Co-Founder and Head Distiller William Goldberg of Oak & Grist Distilling Company knew that whiskey making and distilleries were resource-heavy in their process. When the company began in Black Mountain in 2015, they were already considering how to be as sustainable as possible. “One of our goals has always been to be focused on reducing natural resource waste wherever we can,” he says.

In 2019, they looked into the possibility of going solar and were happy to discover that incentive programs were available to reduce costs. Going solar became part of their environmental commitment as a business, which also became Certified Carbon Neutral in 2022, offsetting enough carbon dioxide to account for their production facility and the emissions associated with their production along the rest of the supply chain.

The Oak & Grist team found a partner in this pursuit of sustainability when they chose Sugar Hollow Solar as their installer. “Sugar Hollow Solar did a great job laying out the facts and figures behind the size of the solar array that we were looking to install,” says Goldberg. “I appreciated the family-like treatment they gave me and my business throughout the process.”

As one of the Southeast’s few 100% grain-to-glass distilleries, their small-batch whiskey and gin captures the unique flavors of the region and celebrates Appalachian farmers, producers, and artisans. Truly local, handmade, grain-to-glass whiskey and gin crafted to inspire adventure.

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Bigger Roofs and More Power: System Logistics in Arden

System Logistics Corporation (SLC) is a leading global supplier of innovative intralogistics and material handling solutions seeking to optimize the supply chain of warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing operations worldwide.

SLC is a great example of how companies are committing transparently to social responsibility, including to sustainability goals. System Logistics, part of the Krones Group, is in Arden, NC, and is a global company whose facility employs more than 120 people working in a plant of over 100,000 square feet.

The company states its goals in part “... to reduce the environmental footprint and continuously expand a positive influence on society. Sustainability must always be considered in all key decisions.”

System Logistics' initial installation is a 126kW system with 316 solar panels, and was Sugar Hollow’s largest array at the time of installation. The project was installed in just four days. The experience they had with Sugar Hollow has since led to a plan to expand to two much larger phases over the coming years. It’s go-solar time for Systems Logistics.

“Sugar Hollow Solar has the capacity to handle projects up to one megawatt, which is the allowable size from Duke Energy for net metering,” explains Feltenberger, Sugar Hollow’s Commercial Solar Developer.. “This was a large project and it taught us that we’re fully capable of scaling up. We definitely have the skillset to take on these larger projects.”

Looking to get started?

Our custom commercial solar systems are designed to help you take control of your carbon footprint — and your bank account. We work with businesses, nonprofits, and government in Asheville and the surrounding areas. Any property with a good solar roof is a great candidate.

Choosing solar means doing something about climate change -- every day. Shouldn’t you wear your values on your roof?

When you’re ready to make your leap towards renewable energy, contact Jake Feltenberger at jake@sugarhollowsolar.com and learn more about what Sugar Hollow Solar, the largest locally-owned solar company in WNC, can do for your business!

Want to learn more about our commercial solar offerings? Click here.