Published February 2001

Battery business saves money by going solar

By Kathy Day
Herald Economy Writer

MARYSVILLE — Drive by Steve Ahmann’s Pacific Power Batteries and you might think he has got an unusual architectural design for the store’s awnings.

Think again. What appear to be shelters from the rain are actually solar panels that generate almost a kilowatt of power on sunny days — enough to save him about one-fourth of his energy bill, he said.

Of course, he added, “if it’s cloudy, we get zip.”

While he acknowledges that not all days are sunny in this neck of the woods, the 14 or so days of sun each month — on average — are enough to make his investment worthwhile.

A system like Pacific Power’s — eight solar panels and equipment from Xantrex-Trace Engineering of Arlington that switches the power from 48 volts of DC energy to 120 volts of AC — runs about $35,000. That includes installation services of a local electrician.

For a company with an electric bill of $300 to $400 a month — before the price hike that took effect Jan. 1 — the payback period would be seven to 10 years, he estimated.

His business, with its main office in Everett, sells batteries of every size and shape, from camera and computer batteries to large commercial and marine batteries, as well as flashlights, electric bikes and electric scooters. With a strong Internet presence (www.pacificpowerbatteries.com), the company has sold equipment around the world. Its batteries power home computers in Argentina and sonar buoys that track fish, Ahmann said.

But his newest mission is “to sell the idea that many small businesses can generate their own electricity to the point where they can significantly reduce their power bills by 25 to 100 percent.”

“We want to show that it can be done simply, using power panels, controllers and inverters that can be commonly purchased — from us, hopefully,” he added. And, he said, it can be done attractively so the panels blend into the building design.

Proud of being able to identify his company as “green,” Ahmann said he ultimately wants his stores to be free of the power grid within 10 years, but also to be selling power back to Snohomish County PUD.

He wants to encourage school districts and municipalities to explore their power options. In an effort to spread the word, he’s willing to make his facility available as a learning center for students of energy construction contracting. Already, it’s a field trip of sorts for some dealers being trained by Xantrex.

While Ahmann believes that even a little green power will help the company “ask a little less of the Bonneville dams,” he doesn’t encourage people to install home-based solar systems, which can cost as much as $50,000.

“We try to make them understand the reality,” he said. “It’s a commitment. It’s as much a hobby as a way to save energy.”

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