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V O L . X X I N O. X I I J U N E 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 24 Other small businesses that have converted to solar say that while the feel-good factor, well, feels good, the fi nancial factors were the driving force. In Portland, Aikido of Maine owner Gary Small says solar fi ts the studio's own practice of teach- ing a Japanese martial art that's based on harmony and mutual assistance."Protecting the environment really fi ts in with our view of creating harmony, pro- tecting the universe, ourselves and each other," says Small. "But you have to be able to pay for it. e economics still had to work." Since Small had 30 panels installed on the roof in June 2013, at a cost of $35,000, the electric bills have dropped from $150 per month to $20 for 10 months of the year. "In eight years, to have free energy is a pretty good investment," says Small. Also in Portland, Coff ee By Design co-owner Mary Allen Lindemann said the company installed solar panels at its Washington Avenue building in 2012, forecasting that the investment would pay for itself within seven years. CBD saves about $2,000 a year on electricity costs. e system generates more electricity than anticipated, so the payoff may hap- pen in as little as fi ve years. Jody DeCesere, who operates Wiswell Farm in Orrington, had Insource Renewables install an array of solar panels in November to power the farm's fans, greenhouses and furnaces. " e cost of oil, gas and electricity has just continued to climb and climb and climb," she says. "You might be able to judge what you're going to have to pay employees or what you're going to pay for plants, but the energy costs were the one unknown every year. is will help off set that." Back in Freeport, Alice Pelletier, owner of Mainely Hair, had always wanted to install solar on the building that houses her salon, her home and a rental apartment. " e energy source is free and clean, and it gets you off the grid," she says. When she heard about Solarize Freeport, she decided the time was right. ough she doesn't qualify for the federal tax credit or the REAP grants (because the building is only partially used for her business), it seemed like a smart investment of $27,000 for the long term. "I don't necessarily get value for my business now," she says, "but it's a good investment for the sale of the building, when the time comes." In 2011, the owners of Black Dinah Chocolatiers installed solar panels on a 500-square-foot barn on Isle au Haut where they made chocolate. e com- mercial kitchen had two refrigerators, a freezer and three other pieces of electrical equipment. "We were consuming a lot of energy and we needed some way of off setting that," says co-owner Steve Shaff er. " e island was the perfect place to do it because everything there is so much more expensive." e critical factor for Shaff er, was the promise of recouping his $35,000 investment in just seven years. "It was an economic investment that made a lot of sense," he says. One day, he would like to add even more solar. But such an endeavor would have to wait until the fi nancials work. "Being sustainable has a lot of components. It's not just renewable energy," says Shaff er. "It's also making sure that people are paid fair wages and that the business survives." J e n n i F e r Van A L L e n, a w r i te r ba s e d i n Ya r m o u t h , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e D i t O r i a L @ m a i n e b i z . b i z F O C U S » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Get to your gate quicker and get home faster! www.parknjetportland.com located 100 yards from baGGaGe claim. look for our Green siGn. per day $10 Valet parking at the airport open 4:30 am - 1 am Get engaged, inspired and connected with a print + digital subscription to Mainebiz. You'll receive bi-weekly issues, special publications and full online access! Know Maine Business. Or call: 845-267-3008 Subscribe online: mainebiz.biz/knowmainebiz P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F R E V I S I O N E N E R G Y Gary Small, owner of Aikido of Maine in Portland, invested $35,000 to have ReVision Energy install a solar array in June 2013. He hopes the investment will pay for itself within fi ve to seven years.

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