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| <back | home Solarponics, Inc.: Solutions for the Long-Term by Suzanne Arthur For his 50th birthday, Solarponic’s founder and owner Mike Emrich and his wife embarked on a journey across Canada and into Alaska “to see this great land firsthand.” They accomplished this mission in style, cruising on a BMW R1100 RT motorcycle. Mike dedicated the adventure to his mom and dad, who, in 1956 had made the same trip on a Harley Davidson. Long-term thinking and cheerful devotion to “creating a future where we haven’t squandered our children’s’ resources” characterize Mike’s vision. Solarponics, Inc., the renewable energy company he founded in Atascadero, celebrated its 30th anniversary in September. He also lives in one of the oldest continuously operating solar electric-operated houses in the U.S., which he built himself in 1977. “Casa del Futura,” as it is known, “is also the testing ground for all Solarponics’ systems. We try everything out on ourselves first.” Casa del Futura’s total energy bill hovers around $6 per month. “Most people are too busy to think globally about energy, but a good portion of our clients are older, and they’re thinking about the long run, like, how can I survive my retirement?” Solarponics is a specialty contractor. Their longevity and success, according to Mike, is a result of the company’s commitment to stand behind its work. Solarponic’s typical customer is paying $150 or more per month to their utility company. Some are as high as $600 or even $900 per month. The higher the bill, the higher the savings they can create. As energy costs increase, Emrich expects to see a demand for more solar water heating systems. But, he says, many customers find it tough to commit to spending the money upfront for a system, even though it will save them enormous costs in the future. In 9 or 10 years you’ll pay off your system,” he tells them. He credits American thinking and our peculiar notion of instant gratification with not wanting to commit to the upfront costs. “The Japanese and Europeans think long-term. That’s what we’re trying to do at Solarponics, provide solutions for people to live in their houses long-term. At $6 a month, if my energy costs triple, I can handle that. But if I’m spending $600 a month and that triples, what am I going to do?” With a solar thermal system, he explains, the utility company acts as your energy battery. They store for you, so you can spin the meter backwards at 30 cents and buy it back at 12 cents. The fact that you can hook into the utility company and feed them energy also helps reduce the size of the solar system you need, and you save money upfront there.” Since the beginning when Mike’s business was run from his garage, the renewable energy business has had its ups and downs. In 1982, Emrich had 40 salespeople and other partners. A lot of the peaks in business were due to administration changes, Carter put solar panels on the roof of the white house, Reagan ripped them down. Carter gave incentives, Reagan cut them off. More recently, the rollercoaster ride continues. In 2004, there were greater tax incentives for investment in solar electric systems than this year. What’s next? Although Solarponics has recently seen a rise in interest in heating with the sun, his company has also been stung by a 20% increase in their costs. Bottom line? “Don’t wait,” says Mike. “Invest in your solar electric water system now, for the long-term. Prices are not likely to go down.” Mike says what’s most fun right now is passing this knowledge on to his son-in-law, who will take over Solarponics one day. Meantime Mike looks forward to a retirement where he can get out and play, maybe take another long cruise on his Beemer — in the sun. Suzanne Arthur writes about alternatives in building, healing and art. She can be reached at sjarthur@gmail.com. <back | top^ |