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We are pleased to announce that Magid Glove is installing a 3.5 Megawatt solar panel array on the rooftop of our Romeoville headquarters. This will distinguish Magid as having the largest rooftop solar array in the entire Midwest. Slated for completion in autumn of 2018, the system will reduce CO2 emissions equal to over 2.2 million acres of forest. That’s like taking over 400,000 cars off the road each year. The panels should produce enough electricity to offset 100 percent of our annual load while allowing our business to continue its tradition of being socially and environmentally proactive.
The installation phase of the project began in February, 2018 with the arrival of 10,500 solar panels. Harvey Cohen, President of Magid, said that, while the project was a big undertaking, it is expected to pay off in many ways. “It will pay for the initial cost in five to seven years. The panels themselves should last 25 years or more and the system is basically maintenance-free. The panels are installed at a 10 degree angle so snow and rain slide off and wash away any dirt.”
He added that it might seem counterintuitive that an entire manufacturing facility could run on solar power in the Midwest with its grey, overcast winters, but it’s possible through the State of Illinois’s Net Metering program. “In the summer, we make more than we need and we bank kilowatt hours. In the winter, we draw some extra power from the grid. At the end of a 12 month period, we have to come out even or pay for the difference.”
Cohen said that he and his team spent nearly three years researching solar power to make sure it would be a good investment. He worked with Convergence Energy and Continental Electrical Construction Company, the consultant and contractor who are performing the panel installation, and determined the best plan for Magid. The investment was also made possible in part by Commonwealth Edison rebates, Federal tax credits, and by Illinois legislation requiring state utilities to buy Renewable Energy Credits from companies that invest in green energy.
