Marathon Automotive goes solar | Business

TRAVERSE Town — A longtime automotive restore facility obtained a United States Section of Agriculture grant to aid shell out for a photo voltaic array.

The Ross Company been given an $11,650 grant to assistance fork out for a 20 kilowatt roof mount photo voltaic photovoltaic system at Marathon Automotive, situated at 845 W. South Airport Highway.

Marathon Automotive President and Proprietor Ross Schofield explained the photo voltaic array went live in mid-May perhaps and made about 44 per cent of the business’ electrical requirements in July and 41 percent in August. The 20 kilowatt photo voltaic array is envisioned to make 36 p.c of Marathon Automotive’s electrical ability demands per year, according to the USDA release.

Undertaking payback is believed at 15 years.

“It’s paid for in 15 many years, then you have an additional 10-15 several years of totally free electricity,” Schofield said of the decision to put in photo voltaic on the roof of the 15,000 sq. foot setting up.

Schofield mentioned the solar array is “an expenditure in the properly becoming of the organization and the earth.”

“We’ve often variety of assumed that way,” said Schofield, who opened Marathon Automotive at the corner of Four Mile Highway and U.S. 31 in 1980. “It just appears like the appropriate issue to do.”

Marathon Automotive was one of 13 Michigan jobs to receive a USDA grant. Twelve of those have been for photo voltaic-based mostly initiatives.

“Every Michigan community can profit from cleanse, renewable electricity,” USDA Rural Growth Condition Director for Michigan Brandon Fewins reported in the release. “These projects are helping to spur economic advancement and also advertise energy independence for rural communities.”

Marathon Automotive moved to its present area in 1992 “after 12 decades of consistent development,” in accordance to the business internet site, https://www.marathonauto.com/. Schofield mentioned he seemed at introducing a solar array all through a 2009 expansion, but the figures did not insert up at the time.

This time the challenge did function economically. Schofield reported Leelanau Solar “was definitely excellent to get the job done with on the undertaking,” which resulted in about $23,000 in costs immediately after a federal tax credit rating.

Afterwards this drop, Schofield said Marathon Automotive will change to lights its 16 automotive bays with LED.

He stated that set up will reduce electrical power use for lights at Marathon Automotive noticeably, although also escalating visibility. Very similar to his choice with solar, Schofield claimed he also weighed the shift to LED before, little bit “you could not make the math operate any way you did it.”

The USDA grants for the 13 tasks in Michigan accounted for a whole expense of $196,981. Other than $20,000 for a grain dryer at Bernia Family members Farms in Tuscola County, the other jobs had been all for photo voltaic which include:

• Berrien County, Dominion Bros. Inc., $20,000
• Department County, Tom Hughes, $12,347
• Calhoun County, David Komasara, $10,357
• Cass County, McKenzie Highlands LLC, $20,000
• Ingham County, Thomas Butcher, $9,371
• Lenawee County, Golden Acre Farms, $18,750
• Monroe County, Masserant Farms LLC, $19,756
• Muskegon County, Harris Knudson, $6,541
• Ottawa County, Fritz Manufacturing Organization, $9,647
• Saginaw County, Shasam Medicine Personal computer, $20,000
• Washtenaw County, Mindo Chocolate Makers LLC, $18,562

The investments in Michigan assignments were component of $111 million in grant for 289 assignments “to help men and women residing in socially susceptible communities,” according to the release.

“Rural America is on the front traces of weather change, and our communities are worthy of investments that will bolster all of our resilience,” USDA Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh mentioned in the launch. “The investments we’re saying … will fortify our electricity security, produce very good-paying employment and help you save Us residents dollars on their energy fees.”