Plymouth Solar Energy expands commercial division and offers solar feasibility study

Plymouth, MA Fred Paris, solar energy pioneer and a respected industry expert, is getting ready for an explosion of commercial solar energy projects. Paris’s company, Plymouth Solar Energy, expanded their commercial solar team to include structural engineering.

“Renewable energy systems on commercial buildings require a full spectrum of resources. The commercial team’s strengths now include electrical, solar, and construction expertise working together to design and install commercial solar. We are entering a period where the rising cost of energy and declining cost of solar have shortened the payback period significantly. And since commercial solar is always a financial decision, short payback for high-performance solar make these projects more viable than ever,” Paris said.

High-performance solar is more than a marketing term, asserts Paris. “Commercial buildings may have flat, pitched, metal or rubber roofing in various states of repair. In the past we would advise an owner to fix the roof, and we would return at a later date. This added months of setback and loss of project control. If the building is more than ten years old, the roof typically needs some work. Having these skills in-house is advantageous in both time and the quality of construction,” he said. “Having people that focus on commercial solar allows us a complete turnkey package. For example, we might seal a metal roof project with a reflective silicone membrane - not just sealing the roof but offering both thermal and reflective attributes - increasing albedo (reflection) and lowering rooftop temperature. Lower temperatures and more light increase solar production and serve to cool the entire building.”

As electrical rates continue to climb, the payback period for commercial solar investment is getting shorter. With federal solar tax credits up to 30% and, with 80% bonus depreciation in 2023, things are looking good for commercial solar.

Plymouth Solar Energy is offering a complimentary solar feasibility study for commercial building owners and managers. The study includes a structural analysis of the building, utility bill analysis to determine current power usage, and irradiant roof analysis to measure the integrity to accommodate solar panels.

As owner of Plymouth Solar Energy and an educator/trainer, Paris founded the Wind Sun Institute to deliver certification training to solar energy installers.

Paris taught solar energy in the US and Canada, and subsequently wrote solar courses for Massasoit Community College. While teaching Strategic Planning at Northeastern, Paris formed Plymouth Solar Energy, hiring and staffing the company with students from his solar energy courses.