Mighty Tieton adds commercial solar to its largest facility to do away with a substantial electric bill and CONTINUES to support artists and the town of Tieton.
The partners at Mighty Tieton chose to add a commercial solar system to their 40,000-square-foot facility to eliminate the bulk of their almost $2,000 a month power bill. They felt that bringing the bill down to net-zero would cut down on operating expenses and make it possible to direct the savings towards their ultimate mission: creating connections between creative entrepreneurs and businesses in the surrounding communities.
Solar aligns with Mighty Tieton’s commitment to the environment. Ed Marquand, one of the partners at the organization, says, “We all know solar is the future and we all know we need to be generating power that is sustainable. I think the sooner we can figure out the most efficient way to take advantage of solar and other sustainable sources of energy the better off we’ll all be.”
Solar makes supporting budding entrepreneurs sustainable building’s energy from solar
Over the years Mighty Tieton has grown to become a hub for design and art related entrepreneurs looking to find more affordable ways to operate their businesses. Located outside of Yakima and spread out over nine properties, the organization has nurtured a dozen firms ranging from printing and mosaics to cheese making and cider production. Mighty Tieton’s presence has helped revitalize the small town of Tieton by creating jobs and community projects, attracting tourists, and bringing a general sense of hope and possibility. But throughout their multiple facilities, their power bills kept going up, particularly in the winter months. Their largest facility, a 1960s era warehouse, has high ceilings and is not very energy efficient. This is where the partners decided to install a solar system.
When Mighty Tieton took a look at the ROI provided by A&R, it was evident that they would be much better off going solar than completely relying on electricity from the grid. An affordable financing package from a local bank funded the installation. Net metering, alongside state incentives and federal tax credits will have the investment fully paid off in 3 ½ years. Mighty Tieton partner Ed Marquand has good things to say about the job A&R did. “A&R was extremely helpful in walking us through every step all the way through to the final installation.”
Since its inception, this artist incubator has attracted talented entrepreneurs whose skills, needs and resourcefulness have helped reinvigorate the town of Tieton and beyond. Now, with some of the organization’s operating costs relieved by the addition of solar power, the town and these artisan businesses can continue to make impressive progress.
