NANTON, AB – Terry Dixon, owner of
Sentimental Journey Antiques on Hwy 2 North in Nanton, AB, is
adamantly committed to the principles of re-using and re-purposing.
She just recently took her passion one step further by installing
solar panels on the roof of her 9,000 sq ft shop located in Nanton’s
historic Keeley building.
“Solar energy is one of the best ways
to make a real contribution to sustainability,” Dixon said. “I
wanted to become a producer of clean renewable solar energy – to be
part of the solution and gain energy independence…and also lower my
utility bills.”
So far, she’s had 12 panels installed on the roof plus extra racking
and wiring for six more panels to be added at a later date.
The Sharp NDU-230 watt panels are six feet wide by 30 feet long.
They use a Sunenergy 5,000 watt inverter made locally by Sustainable
Energy Technology in Calgary.
Dixon can track how much energy her
solar panels are producing. “We receive live information on our
computer in the store. It shows us real time daily, weekly, monthly
and year-to-date data,” she explained.
The panels, racking and installation
cost Dixon $6.50 per watt of installed power and she’s spent $18,000
to date. She’s already noticed a savings in her store’s electricity
costs but says the energy companies need to lower their demand
charges.
“I did this out of the passion to go
green and to lead the community,” Dixon said. “We all need to move
towards lowering our carbon footprint. More and more people
want to become part of the solution and solar energy is one of the
best ways to make a real contribution.”
Visit
www.sentimentaljourneyantiques.ca.

Solar panels in racking prior to installation.

Crane helping to install solar panels on roof of
antique store.
– photos courtesy Terry Dixon