New solar panels at Super Clean Car Wash in Fulton will help residents clean cars while the sun shines.
The 50 panels covering the rear roof of the business will significantly lessen - and, averaged over a year, eliminate - the car wash's energy costs, co-owner Matt Gowin hopes.
"With the sun and the months, some are better than others, and some months there's greater demand for car washing, too," he said.
Fulton solar equipment supplier Sunspire Energy helped Super Clean choose and set up the right panels.
"We connected probably through the Chamber of Commerce - and his daughter goes to school with my daughter," said Danielle Pointer, owner of Sunspire. "It's a very local thing, you know."
This is the first time Sunspire has worked with a business inside Fulton city limits, and Pointer saw potential for greening the car wash up.
"She approached us with the idea back about April or May," Gowin said.
After analyzing the costs and benefits, it became clear the solar panels would be worth it.
"It'll be a little bit of green energy, some support for the environment, as well as eventually savings on our energy bill," he added.
Gowin and Pointer estimate the panels will pay for themselves within four years.
"We measure it in terms of dollars, not kilowatts," Gowin said.
The car wash applied for a USDA grant and also received a tax credit,which helped cover the project cost.
He expects to have the solar panels running within a week, after the city approves a couple final permits.
"We're effectively generating power at our business now, and there are permits associated with that," he said. "(The city has) been good to work with."
However, this isn't the car wash's first eco-friendly measure, Gowin explained, and it won't be its last.
"This is about our fourth," Gowin said. "When we opened that business 2 years ago, my partner and I focused on efficiency. There's only certain, limited ways to make car washes efficient."
Their first measure was a water reclamation tank. Water that isn't softened for washing gets used for rinsing.
Second, instead of a large gas boiler system, the business has what's called an "instant" gas water system. Water is heated on demand, rather than being kept hot at all times.
"At two in the morning, there's no sense in heating 300 gallons of water," Gowin said.
The last project is also ongoing. The car wash is trading in its old fluorescent tubes for more-efficient LED lights. This will decrease the amount of energy the car wash needs significantly.
"They provide better light, have less of an energy draw and need fewer bulb replacements," Gowin said.
Aside from providing clean energy to the car wash, Gowin hopes the project bring catches Fulton business owners' attention.
"We're hoping this project opens their eyes, generates some questions," he said.
Pointer knows there are still many misconceptions about solar panels.
"People think the initial cost is way too much money," she said.
But the cost of installing solar panels has dropped significantly in the last 10 years, she claimed, and it's a viable option for both businesses and individual residents.
"We're trying to reinvest in the community," Gowin said.
He hopes the business's customers also notice the new panels.
"We've pretty well flown below the radar on this," he said. "As they vacuum out back they'll notice it. We're going to try to promote it a little bit through ads, word of mouth."