BETHLEHEM, Pa. (Sept. 6, 2013) — Service Tire Truck Centers Inc. has installed a solar photovoltaic energy system on the roof of its Millby, Mass., retread plant, which it said should defray roughly one-fourth of the plant's electricity expenses.
STTC partnered with Hopkinton, Mass.-based Solect Energy Development L.L.C. for the installation of 1,313 solar PV panels atop the 58,000-sq.-ft. facility, rated collectively at 322 kilowatts of energy.
The company did not say what the installation cost, but STTC Executive Walt Dealtrey said the financial incentives and green aspects of solar "were very compelling.
"Choosing to go solar was another way that we can give back, this time to the environment," Mr. Dealtrey said.
This is STTC's second solar installation. In 2006 the company installed a 150-kW array atop its Millville, N.J., retread plant.
The commercial dealership/retreader also converted all the lights and fixtures in 2010 in all of its facilities to fluorescent lighting to cut its energy usage and reduce its carbon footprint. "STTC is an excellent example of a business that can take advantage of all of the benefits of a solar renewable energy solution," said Scott Howe, business development partner at Solect.
"The federal and state incentives combined with the electricity savings make solar a very compelling proposition for businesses."
STTC has 43 commercial locations in Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Its retread plants are Michelin Retread Technology-based operations.
STTC acquired the Millby plant in 2010 in its purchase of 16 Eastern Seaboard TCi Tire Centers L.L.C. commercial locations from Michelin North America Inc.