{"id":28534,"date":"2015-08-08T15:14:54","date_gmt":"2015-08-08T19:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2015\/08\/solar-energy-conversion-a-popular-option-for-businesses-as-savings-become-evident.html"},"modified":"2015-08-08T15:14:54","modified_gmt":"2015-08-08T19:14:54","slug":"solar-energy-conversion-a-popular-option-for-businesses-as-savings-become-evident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2015\/08\/solar-energy-conversion-a-popular-option-for-businesses-as-savings-become-evident\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Energy Conversion A Popular Option For Businesses As Savings Become Evident"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\"solar\n<\/div>\n
These solar panels are atop Galway Market in Galway, one of the projects by Active Solar Development. Owner Frank McCleneghen says the commercial side of business has grown\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

BY ANDREA PALMER<\/p>\n

Tax incentives for converting to solar energy
\nare coming to an end, but the demand
\nfor clean energy continues to grow.
\nFrank McCleneghen of Active Solar Development
\nin Galway, has seen commercial
\ndemand grow.<\/p>\n

“We’ve shifted away from doing only solar
\nelectric [projects] as the incentives have
\ndecreased. We have seen the larger commercial
\nbusiness industry become much
\nmore competitive and the margins tighter
\nthan they were before,” said McCleneghen.<\/p>\n

In July, New York state announced that
\nthe growth of solar power has increased more
\nthan 300 percent from 2011 to 2014, twice
\nthe rate of U.S. solar growth overall. The
\nincrease was attributed to state initiatives
\nto build a clean, resilient and affordable
\nenergy systems.<\/p>\n

“Solar is at a point today where it is both
\naffordable to own and lease,” said Ben Sopczyk,
\nmarketing director and project manager
\nfor Apex Solar Power in Queensbury. “It
\noffsets the known cost of electricity associated
\nwith home or business ownership that
\nhas increased in price on average over the
\nlast 30 years. You save money every month
\nwith your system, and you increase the equity
\nvalue of your home or business.”<\/p>\n

He said the demand for solar power has grown steadily, especially in recent years.
\n“In the United States right now, a new
\nsolar project is being installed every 20
\nminutes,” said Sopczyk. “The growth has
\nbeen huge.”<\/p>\n

He said two years ago, his staff was
\nabout 10 total employees in one office.
\n“Today, we have over 80 employees in three
\noffices: Queensbury, Syracuse, and New
\nWindsor. While we have been in business
\nfor much longer than that, the growth has
\nbeen exponential in the past few years due
\nto the current incentive levels and the drop
\nin solar equipment prices.”<\/p>\n

McCleneghan said Active Solar has found
\nsuccess in strategic relationships.
\n“We have had really good success working
\nwith property developers, installing solar
\nhot water in commercial buildings. We’re
\nworking with Omni Development to install
\nthermal hot water in a 12-story commercial
\nbuilding in Albany. We are doing their domestic
\nhot water for a hundred units. The solar
\nis picking up 50 percent of the load on that
\nand cutting down on their fuel costs while
\ncapturing the tax incentives,” he said.<\/p>\n

Sopczyk said the conversion to solar energy
\nwas “extremely simple”.
\n“The only requirement is a place to put
\nthe solar system that receives sunlight 80 percent of the year,” he noted. “We take care
\nof all permit, incentive and utility applications.
\nWe can provide financing as well. As
\nfar as the actual ‘conversion’ goes, nothing
\nchanges in the {provision of service to the}
\nhome or business,” he said.<\/p>\n

He said solar energy can be used yearround,
\ndespite long upstate winters.
\n“Solar produces electricity over the entire
\nyear. When the system is installed, the utility
\ncompany provides a new ‘net’ meter that
\ntracks the electricity produced by the system,
\nand what is used on the property. Extra
\nenergy credits are built up in the summer
\nto be used in the winter, so at the end of
\n12 months, your system has produced all
\nthe electricity that you have used, and your
\nannual net usage becomes 0 kilowatt hours.
\nThis offsets everything on the bill that is calculated
\nbased on the usage. This means both the supply and delivery are offset,” he said.<\/p>\n

Tax incentives from previous years for
\nconverting to solar energy are decreasing
\nand will soon end altogether. But Sopczyk
\nsaid the investment is worth the upfront
\ncost.<\/p>\n

“The average home recoups its costs in
\n4-8 years, and a business can recoup in 4-6.
\nAnd aside from the usage savings and easier
\nplanned monthly costs, businesses gain a 30
\npercent tax credit based on the system cost,
\nand can depreciate the cost of the system to
\nadditional tax savings,” said Sopczyk. “With
\nthese two incentives and the help of NYSERDA
\nincentives, up to 65 percent of the
\nsystem cost can be recouped with these tax
\nand depreciation credits,”<\/p>\n

“The benefits are tangible, the incentives
\nare helping and they will not be here for
\nmuch longer,” stated Sopczyk.<\/p>\n

Photo Courtesy Active Solar Development<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These solar panels are atop Galway Market in Galway, one of the projects by Active Solar Development. Owner Frank McCleneghen says the commercial side of business has grownBY ANDREA PALMER Tax incentives for converting to solar energy are coming…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[57,75,102],"class_list":["post-28534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news","tag-business-news","tag-galway","tag-ny-state"],"yoast_head":"\r\nSolar Energy Conversion A Popular Option For Businesses As Savings Become Evident - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2015\/08\/solar-energy-conversion-a-popular-option-for-businesses-as-savings-become-evident\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Solar Energy Conversion A Popular Option For Businesses As Savings Become Evident - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"These solar panels are atop Galway Market in Galway, one of the projects by Active Solar Development. 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