NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Pete Rappoccio knew he wanted solar panels on Sign Pro’s new building.
It was 2018. The manufacturing facility was set to be about 40,000 square feet, housing printers, and welders. Solar wasn’t a very common feature at the time, but it was a fresh site, and he knew it was time to take the leap.
“It was always something I looked at, and I looked forward to as a possibility,” he said.
About 890 solar panels went onto that roof in Plantsville — enough to power 1,340 houses. Since then, the business has tripled its number of employees, built another facility and is using the extra electricity it’s generated to power a new electric vehicle fleet.
“It’s pretty huge,” Rappoccio said.
From the beginning, that meant not having to pay the supply portion of the company’s Eversource bill. After adding a solar bank to store that extra energy to use at night, Sign Pro is now completely off the grid.
“We’ve been very happy with our solar program and what we’ve done is any surplus money, we’ve reinvested into our company,” Rappoccio said.
It’s a gamble that has already paid for itself, with the cost of the new storage bank alone recouping the price of the investment within four months.
And with Connecticut electric companies increasing prices by 50% this year, Rappoccio is glad for that decision he made just a few years ago. He now advocates for other businesses to also make the switch.
“If you see the amount that comes back, it’s amazing,” he said.
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