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Photo credit: LightWave Solar -
- Photo credit: LightWave Solar
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Photo credit: LightWave Solar -
- Photo credit: LightWave Solar
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Photo credit: LightWave Solar -
- Photo credit: LightWave Solar
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Construction is taking place on a solar array atop Mallory Station Storage on Nolensville Road in Nashville, the second largest solar energy project in Nashville. The company is installing solar at each of its four locally-owned storage facilities in Nashville, Brentwood, and Franklin, making this the largest corporate investment in solar energy for both Davidson and Williamson Counties.
Mallory Station Storage’s five solar projects are scheduled to be installed before the end of the year, adding about 2,000 solar panels to Middle Tennessee and a total of 472 kilo-watts of solar energy. These systems will have a great environmental impact that over the next 25 years will offset emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide, equivalent to planting 3,540 acres of trees or taking 2,360 cars off the road.
A project of this size is costly, totaling approximately $2 million dollars, but Mallory Station Storage Regional Manager Brett Yocum is confident in the investment. The average payback time on the systems is five years, and over its lifetime, the five- system project will generate over $7M in income, based on the price of conventional electricity that is expected to increase each year.
“Clean energy technology is an investment that we’re glad to be making,” said Yocum. “Solar is a low risk, high-return investment that benefits society both environmentally and economically.”
Mallory Station Storage is able to keep many of the economic benefits local with the growing solar manufacturing base here in Tennessee. System components manufactured in Tennessee include: 1,965 solar panels manufactured at Sharp (Memphis), the glass covering the panels manufactured at AGC Flatglass (Kingsport), wiring and combiner boxes from Shoals Technologies (Portland), and monitoring systems from SPX ArgusON Solar Power Management (Franklin). The five systems are being designed and installed by Tennessee’s LightWave Solar of Antioch, a solar installer that has increased the number of its employees by 30 percent within the last six months, a good reflection of the growth of the solar industry as a whole.
“We are excited to be part of a growth industry that supports our nation’s economic recovery,” said LightWave Solar President Steve Johnson. “Our company illustrates a national trend that is impacting communities like ours across the nation.”
Solar is in fact one of the fastest growing industries in the entire economy, experiencing 69 percent growth over the last year. This significant growth has given more than 100,000 Americans a job working in the U.S. solar industry, according to the Solar Foundation’s annual jobs census. The growth is exciting, and the Solar Energy Industries Association recently announced that the U.S. solar energy industry has set a record for installations, achieving a 140 percent annual growth in the best quarter yet.
As solar may continue to grow, Mallory’s investment might too. The company is already considering adding more solar to their facilities, even before they have seen the first solar production credits on their electric bills.
The addition of solar is an expansion of Mallory Station's current green initiatives. All Mallory Station stores are constructed with a geo-thermal design to reduce power consumption. Other ways they have reduced power consumption is by applying a ceramic rubber coating to their roofs, solar film to their windows and underground wells to irrigate their landscaping. Along the same lines, the water that is absorbed from their dehumidifiers is dispersed throughout the landscaping on site.
The large solar installation is a natural progression in Mallory Station’s ongoing commitment to being environmentally responsible and maintaining storage facilities that are among the most state-of-the art in the nation.
About Mallory Station Storage & Consignment:
Mallory Station Storage and Consignment provides state of the art self-storage and high-end consignment furniture with additional services such as truck rental and moving supplies. Mallory Station is locally owned and operated in Brentwood, TN with four locations in the Brentwood and Franklin area. For more information visit MalloryStation.com.
About LightWave Solar:
Founded in Nashville in 2006, LightWave Solar is the largest area installer of residential and commercial solar PV systems in Tennessee. LightWave Solar has the most NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certifications of any company in Tennessee and is an active member of the Tennessee Solar Energy Industry Association (TenneSEIA).
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