Going solar a no brainer for equipment major Herbold

United States – Plastics recycling technology producer Herbold Meckesheim USA has taken major steps towards making its Rhode Island headquarters more environmentally friendly while simultaneously saving on energy costs. The company has purchased a rooftop solar energy system to provide electrical power to its 10 000-square-foot facility at North Smithfield.

The decision to go solar satisfies two important company objectives: to reduce energy costs and support environmental stewardship issues. The system, which consists of 80 panels, takes up around 20% of Herbold’s available roof space and is capable of producing 28 000 kW of energy.

‘We have been interested in solar for purely environmental reasons since we built this facility in 2013,’ explains Herbold’s president David Lefrancois. ‘As we looked more closely at the systems available today, we realised that 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.’

Herbold Meckesheim USA is a subsidiary of Herbold Meckesheim Germany. It manufactures shredders, granulators and wash-line systems for plastics recycling.