Seven years of solar power pays off for Krapohl FordLED lights and other sustainability efforts work well, too

Three main buildings make up the core of Krapohl Ford’s dealership. The main building, closest to Pickard Street, houses the Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center, the Service, Parts and Sales departments, and the office team.

Tucked back to the north is the Krapohl Body Shop. To the west is a structure that houses the reconditioning team and a few offices, including that of co-owner Mark Smith. 

All have flat roofs.

Go back to 2015 or 2016, when Smith wondered if solar panels would help offset electrical bills.

“I’ve always been interested in alternative energy sources,” Smith says. “At one time, I looked at windmills. Then I heard more about solar panels and tax credits. Some companies we work with used solar, and I talked to them.”

The first 576 solar panels went on the roof of the main sales and service building in January 2017. Smith noticed an immediate difference in the electrical bills.

He figures the solar panels, which have an estimated 30-year life, will pay for themselves in seven to nine years. “Even if it took 15 years, you still have another 15 years after that,” he says.

Smith said tax credits and a government grant on the second installation reduced the initial expenses.

When the first installment went in, Smith had concerns about longevity, maintenance and performance. It turns out the panels need zero maintenance, and snow melts quickly. Further, he can go online to see exactly how much electricity the panels generate.

The panels worked so well, 328 more were added to the body shop and 74 to the reconditioning building in March 2021. All of them sit on racks tilted slightly south to capture the most sun.

Reports generated by the solar systems show Krapohl has reduced its production of carbon dioxide by about 1.5 kilotons (1,500 tons). Unlike fossil fuels, solar panels don't burn anything to generate electricity, so they emit no carbon dioxide while producing energy.   

And so far, the first panels have produced 1,163 megawatt hours, while the second installment has produced 630 MWh. For comparison, one megawatt is roughly equivalent to the electricity used by 330 homes in one hour. 

“I believe in protecting the environment, and I figured using solar would have a bigger impact with the business than at my house,” Smith says.

Courtesy Steve Jessmore
Other sustainability efforts include:

LED lights: “The savings are amazing,” Smith says. “The power needed is about 90 percent less than what we used to use.”

Oil-burning furnaces: The Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center generates a lot of used oil. Smith put in the first oil burning furnace nearly 20 years ago, and he’s added several more since then.  “The new ones are more efficient and burn less oil. Oil that does not go into the furnaces is recycled. And oil filters are crushed to get all of the oil out of them.” That oil is often sold and used to make asphalt or similar products.

Cardboard, paper: “We have a LOT of cardboard. We recycle paper and cardboard. It’s just expected here. People learn it’s part of the job.” Boxes are often reused to ship parts and other materials.

Tires: Tires with little wear are sold to a business. A tire recycling company collects the ones that are not resold.

Water safety: “When we clean dirt and oil off a part, we use recycled water, so we are not discharging a chemical into the system,” Smith says.

Batteries: Old batteries are sent to Ford or the battery manufacturer.

Metal: Some is sold to a scrap metal facility.

Reuse: “Wooden pallets are reused for shipping or storage. Anything we can reuse, we do,” he says.