LENA, Ill. — Landmark business Pat Brown Realty installed a 6.72 kilowatt DC solar system to power their business operations. Stateline Solar, local solar energy installation company, was tasked with the design and installation of the solar system.
This system consists of 16 solar panels from Mission Solar, an American solar panel manufacturer located in San Antonio, Texas. These panels will provide 104 percent of Pat Brown Realty’s electrical consumption. Installing this solar system is estimated to be the equivalent of planting over 3,000 trees.
“I made the decision to go solar after careful consideration on running numbers and talking it over with my employees. It made the most sense financially and anytime we can go renewable at the same time it was a no brainer.” says Adam Werhane, Named Managing Broker and Owner of Pat Brown Realty.
Werhane and Stateline Solar’s CEO, Ethan Fiene, have a strong tie that goes beyond a working relationship. Fiene and Werhane became college roommates at University of Wisconsin Platteville before becoming local business owners. Werhane continues, “It has been a pretty cool transformation from college roommates to local business owners one block from each other before the age of 28. Anytime we can keep things local and work with a friend at the same time is a home run!”
Pat Brown Realty is able to take advantage of several incentives that reduce the cost of going solar. There is a federal tax credit, currently at 26 percent for solar installations and utility net metering. All of these incentives help a facility reduce daily operating costs.
“Pat Brown Realty is one of many local businesses we have helped switch to renewable energy,” adds Stateline Solar’s CEO, Ethan Fiene. “Adam has been a long time friend, and when his business approached me about going solar, I was eager to help them make that switch.”
