Solar Power

Adriano’s Brick Oven pizza restaurant is going green.

Once all of the electrical connections are completed this week, the popular Glenwood eatery on the west side of Town Square will become the first business in town being powered by solar energy.

Workers from Solar Heat and Electric were on the roof of the business last week installing 18 solar panels that will be connected to an inverter box.

“You take that energy (from the solar panels), which is DC energy, down to the inverter. The inverter flips it from DC that the sun produces to AC that you can use in your house or business,” Solar Heat and Electric spokesman Michael Shonka said. “The solar system will produce around 1,800 kilowatt hours per day. It will produce a little less in the winter and a little more in the summer.”

Percentage-wise, Shonka estimates the solar panels will likely produce between 30-50 percent of the electricity needed for Adrian and Julie Kalambokidis to operate their restaurant.

“You’re limited by the amount of roof area that you have to use and also the amount of budget you can afford,” Shonka said. “The payback is totally proportional. The equipment is expected to last 20-25 years with payback around year 7. You can expect to get 15 years or so of free electricity.”

Long-term cost savings aside, Adrian Kalambokidis said he and his wife are sending a message that green energy is the energy of the future.

“We’re hoping it’s contagious (with other business owners),” he said. “I don’t know if it’s more of a political statement or an environmental statement, but it’s where the country needs to go.”

Julie Kalambokidis said she and her husband embrace “sustainable living whenever possible” and they’re willing to invest in that belief both personally and professionally.

“Solar is a larger up-front investment, but it pays for itself after a few years and then there is a savings,” she said. “Since the sun is renewable energy, it is better for the planet.”

Julie Kalambokidis added, “We hope to encourage others to invest in their future and that of the planet and look into solar, wind, recycling, etc.”

She noted that for Adriano’s and most restaurants, utilitity costs typically take a big bite out of the budget.
“Utilities are one of your biggest expenses, right behind food and labor cost so every little bit of savings helps control costs,” she said.

Although Adriano’s is believed to be the first commercial building in Glenwood being powered by the sun, Shonka said solar energy isn’t new to the area.

“I’ve been in this business for 30 years and Glenwood was one of the hot spots for solar energy back in the ‘80s,” Shonka said. “There are a number of solar air and water systems here in Glenwood. I service a lot of them.”

Shonka said solar energy is gaining popularity nationwide in both urban and rural areas.

“I think it’s important for the small town in particular because it gives the kids and younger people a sense of pride in their community,” he said. “It’s the young people who are really excited about this. They think a lot about solar. It’s what they want for their future.”