No Excuses: Solar Is the Best Option for Energy Efficiency

When I launched LB&A Sign Management in the Central Indiana area, I based my company’s philosophy on green practices. We position ourselves as a green partner with businesses to achieve safe disposal of waste, recycle discarded materials and achieve optimum energy efficiency. With the green movement on the upswing, our timing was ideal when it came to finding industry resources to assist with safe disposal of waste and recycling materials from old signs.
Where we had to forge new territory was in energy efficiencies for signs. Like many of our peers, we had all the data on LED signs at our fingertips. We could easily advise, consult and move customers to more sustainable and energy efficiencies by converting neon signs to LED. Ultimately though, we knew the gold standard and best option for energy conservation was to bring solar options to our market.
Though excited about aggressively introducing solar-powered signs to our market, we wrestled with various, possible obstacles. Are our customers ready for solar? Would costs be higher? How much re-training would we have to do for our install team? What was the learning curve for our sales team? Would we need new equipment? How do we sell a Midwest market on solar energy? Do we need to adjust our traditional timeline for design, manufacturing and installation? It seemed like the questions kept coming and it almost felt overwhelming.
Once we had the answers to our long list of questions, though, I discovered all of the “obstacles” were either imagined or easily overcome.
First, through basic research, we found our customers were ready for solar powered signs and were hungry for innovative options for sustainable practices. We found site managers who had maximized recycling efforts in their offices and purchasing officers who exhausted every green, office supply possible. A solar option for energy conservation gave them an innovative resource for sustainable-workplace practices. Most companies feel the pressure to decrease their carbon footprint, and we were there to give them a solution.
Second, we categorized the adjustments we would have to make as we moved to solar. In the end, none of the adjustments were in design or selling techniques. Instead, the adjustments related directly to achieving energy efficiencies. Neon, for example, provides no energy benefits in relation to solar. We had to move clients away from neon and to LED. Also, when a client needed new ground signs and therefore we needed to pull electricity to a new location, the energy pull is low voltage. In turn, the photovoltaic panel/film can be self-contained to save energy.
Wall signs, in particular, require additional foresight and planning. The PV panel for wall signs must be installed as close as possible to the actual sign to run wiring.
The last adjustment for which we had to plan was to ensure a weather-safe location for storage units and the controller. While this called for additional planning and considerations, knowing it related directly to creating the desired result of energy efficiency made the challenge exciting and manageable.
Finally, we discovered that minimal re-training was necessary to make the move to solar-powered signs. Our purchasing department sourced and researched options for solar-panel packaging, but we accrued no additional upfront costs. All purchasing and front-end expenditures were congruent with traditional sign work.
Our electrical team was easily trained on the logistics of positioning the panels, length of wiring and number of panels necessary for each sign. Our equipment needs, such as cranes and bucket trucks, stayed the same and didn’t call for any unique engineering. Our project managers were prepared for additional planning time to position panels correctly to meet the requirements of the sign. Our sales team was armed with the short-term and long-term cost-savings affiliated with LED lighting and/or solar power.
With all of our questions answered, we had no excuses. It was time to bring the ultimate resource in energy efficiency to our customers and offer solar powered signs. We started with a few smaller projects during the summer of 2009 to ensure we had our quality control systems in place. In spring 2010, we completed a larger project for a company called SePRO and their office park in Carmel, IN.
Like many of our clients, SePro recognizes that making the move to solar power positions them as a green-friendly and responsible corporate leader. At the same time, they know solar brings positive results to their bottom line. “We are excited to see the savings our solar signs bring us in tax credits, energy cost and maintenance,” said SePro’s Cory Cline.
As an industry we have a responsibility to offer the most sustainable options for our clients. We have no excuses. For the optimum in energy efficiency, signs powered by solar energy is the answer.