Sundance Power Systems, a long-standing leader in establishing the regional renewable energy industry, is proud to be carbon neutral in their office and shop operations, and may well be one of the first companies in the Southeast to achieve this status.
The term “Carbon Neutral” was named the Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary in 2006 when response to climate concerns led forward-thinking corporations such as Google and REI to embrace the concept as part of their proactive corporate policies geared towards sustainability. While the economic downturn slowed the momentum, clean energy investments are emerging as one of the most solid approaches to economic recovery, offering businesses a hedge against rising fuel prices while providing a profit center from clean energy generation and carbon credit markets.
Dave Hollister, the company’s founder and CEO, feels that this milestone set by his company serves as an example of what needs to happen for businesses to be competitive and profitable in the changing 21st century economy. It effectively addresses the “triple bottom line’ by offering social and economic advantages along with environmental responsibility, a balance of which supports healthy growth and development. He also notes that “while the reduction of greenhouse gases is one of the primary benefits of renewable energy systems, these technologies are now economically viable and also provide energy security and independence.”
Being carbon neutral involves a calculation of total climate-damaging carbon emissions from operations, reducing them through conservation and efficiency measures where possible, and then either investing in clean energy technologies or purchasing carbon offsets through certified programs. Sundance’s strategy includes on-site renewable energy generation through a solar hot water system, a 10 kilowatt solar electric system, and a biomass boiler. The balance is offset through NC GreenPower credits.
Sundance Power Systems, Inc. has been serving the Southeast with Renewable Energy Systems since 1995 and is based just outside of Asheville, NC.