The Solar Car Wash

A "green entrepreneur" named Any Williams is co-owner of GreenSky Energetics, Inc. in Manitowoc. The company specializes in natural energy solutions (solar, wind, etc.) and has converted a local car wash, the Rapid Car Wash in Manitowoc, to be more green.

A 10-panel solar hot water system saves the business more than 850 therms (85,000 cubic feet of natural gas) per year. That's about 60% of the car wash's hot water usage, so it's no small sum.

In the wintertime, the units also run a radiant floor heating system to keep all of the facility's space warm so components don't freeze. While the car wash owners are unsure as of yet, they believe that anywhere from 40-85% of the total costs to install the systems will be reimbursed through tax incentives and rebates. Their business plan counted on 45% reimbursement.

The Car Wash will see a full return on its investment in less than five years and, if energy prices continue to rise, perhaps as early as 3 years.

This is GreenSky's second energy project, the company's first being the installation of the world's largest forced-air heating system in Wisconsin. That system, installed at Eland Electric Corporation, now saves the company nearly half of its energy bills compared to the year before it was installed.

It's a good time to be a greentrepreneur, I guess.