Plastic recycling equipment maker Herbold Meckesheim USA is going solar in a move the company said will reduce energy costs and make the firm more environmentally friendly.
Based in North Smithfield, Rhode Island, Herbold is installing 80 solar panels on about 20% of its 10,000-square-foot facility.
“We've been interested in solar for purely environmental reasons since we built this facility in 2013,” president David Lefrancois said in a statement. “As we looked more closely at the systems available today, we realized the savings in terms of energy cost, were dramatic.
“When we combined the cost reductions with the environmental impacts, going solar was a no-brainer,” he continued.
The solar power system is expected to be operational in early January and is expected to eliminate the company's electric costs.
The expected project payback is less than three years, the company said.
Herbold designs, manufactures and installs size reduction equipment, such as shredders and grinders, as well as wash lines for plastics recycling.
The company is a subsidiary of Herbold Meckesheim GmbH of Germany.