July 05, 2012 - The 24 solar panels that generate electricity for Angel Autry’s consignment shop and apartment were a lot like Legos, she says.
That is, if Legos could save 75 percent on the monthly power bill.
Autry, who lives above Angel’s Upscale Consignment in Bessemer City, heats and cools about 8,000 square feet. Her first power bill after she began using the solar panels this winter was $102.
There was some up-front expense for the panels. Autry had to buy the pieces, although she and a friend, Otis Whitehurst, formed a small company, A O Alternative Energy, so they could get a wholesale price.
Autry’s rooftop project also required a structural engineer to draw a plan and a contractor to shore up the 74-year-old building at 101 E. Virginia Ave.
The business owner also had to find an electrician willing to take on the project.
All told, the solar panels represent an investment of around $25,000. Autry borrowed the money from her 401(k), a loan she says she’s happily repaying herself with interest.
Autry and Whitehurst worked together to complete most of the labor.
“This is do-able,” Autry says. “They all just hooked right together. If I can do it, anybody can do it.” read more>>>
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