VISTA, CALIF. – Baker Electric, a full-service storage, electric, and solar contractor for the Southern California area, recently completed a 65.86 kW DC rooftop solar installation for FBI Flowers in Vista. As a consistent producer and distributor of quality floral products for more than 20 years, FBI Flowers was looking to up their environmental game by commissioning the solar project to harness a more natural source of energy for their 11,000-square-foot building. The state-of-the-art solar system installed by Baker is primed to continually produce clean energy equivalent to offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from 8,822 gallons of gas consumed annually.
While much of its product is local to Southern California and northern Mexico, a portion of FBI Flowers’ steadfast flower supply is often imported from its 120 partner farms in South America and Australia. The need for refrigerated transport and storage was a factor in the decision to go solar, as reducing consumption in the main building will help lower overall costs.
“Power is a significant expense to us. We were looking for ways to lock in our costs and make them more predictable,” said Frank Biddle, president and owner of FBI Flowers.
Baker’s estimates project the solar unit will save FBI Flowers nearly $19,000 within the first year of use, and an estimated $840,217 throughout the 25-year warrantied life of the solar modules. Baker assisted with securing financing for the unit, which is funded entirely by a power purchase agreement (PPA).
Reducing costs was a driving factor for FBI Flowers, but the company had also begun working on limiting environmental impact by utilizing eco-friendly shipping containers to import and export much of its product where possible, instead of air freight and other more expensive and impactful shipping methods.
“We are at the forefront of a new system where we are using refrigerated shipping containers, which have a much lower carbon footprint,” said Biddle. “They are along the same line [as the solar unit]; they save money and save carbon.”
Converting to solar energy was a natural next step for the company. Baker completed the project in less than nine months, and FBI Flowers was up and running on clean energy shortly after.
“Going solar is helping businesses all over Southern California both reduce their environmental impact and improve their bottom line,” said Scott Williams, Vice President of Baker Electric. “The solar system’s $840,000 in cumulative savings will go far towards helping FBI Flowers continue to thrive over the next 25 years.”
About FBI Flowers:
FBI Flowers began in the late 1980s as a supplier of stock to markets along the East Coast. Since then the company has expanded, staking its home base in Southern California with local floral farms in northern Mexico and the San Diego area. FBI Flowers is a worldwide supplier of a broad variety of freshly-grown floral product, catering to both small, local stores and larger national chains. For more information, visit http://www.fbiflowers.com.
About Baker Electric:
Founded by Leroy Baker in 1938, Baker Electric Inc. provides a wide range of high-quality, cost-effective commercial solar and electrical installations throughout the greater Southern California area. The company acts as both a prime and subcontractor, providing comprehensive pre-construction services, planning and coordination, design-build, project management and in-house electrical engineering for solar, microgrid, storage and electrical projects of any size, and has upheld its high standards of quality and customer service for the last 80 years. For more information on Baker Electric’s work and its company history, visit http://www.baker-electric.com.
