Paper embossing specialist Tafeda, and Canberra on-demand digital printer Instant Colour Press are the two latest print businesses to install solar panels to supplement energy use.
While ink and paper have seen price increases across the board in 2017, energy costs have been the biggest hit to bottom lines for printers, with costs skyrocketing over the past 12 months.
Suzannah Walton, general manager, Instant Colour Press, says, “Installing the solar panels has insulated us against power price rises. Half of our energy comes from the panels.”
Teresa del Castillo, marketing manager, Tafeda says, “We are putting more energy into the grid than we are using right now."
The two companies are not alone, Australian Printer recently reported on Excel Australasia’s success with solar, saving money and scoring new clients.
The three companies are only missing a battery system to ensure reliability, with Instant Colour Press waiting for the next-generation of batteries, while Tafeda and Excel Australasia spreading out investment into the technology.
Del Castillo says, “We have 39 panels, with 10.5 kilowatts capacity in total. This is enough for us for now, coming into Christmas and New Years when we are slowing down. We want to see how the energy levels are throughout the year, on days when there is no sun, and winter compared to summer.
"Then we will decide whether we need to invest in more panels for capacity, or a battery for reserve power.
"We have a lot of remaining roof space, we could double or triple the amount of panels if that is what we decide to do.
“With the panels, we were able to support local business. It was a young entrepreneur partnered with another business who set it up.
“If the panels help our image, that is a bonus but it is not our purpose. We did it because it is the right thing to do. If customers see that we are using renewable energy and are excited about that, that is great.
“Our business involves craftsmanship, adding texture to paper and embellishing it. We try to provide good service and finish each job in 24 hours, returning all the sheets provided without waste. We try to minimise waste with everything we do, so we reuse packaging material, and we reuse some of our paper and cut it into A4 sheets for samples.”
Tafeda is run by Fernando and Teresa del Castillo, with Fernando, who is an engineer by trade, building the company's first embossing machine from scratch. It has also installed LED lighting to cut down on its power use.
At ICP Walton says that she and Dave McGuiness, owner, “Are aware of the environment and our impact. We recycle, we are conscious of doing the right thing and passionate about reducing our carbon footprint. We are also saving money on our bills, it is a big investment that will be paid off in four or five years.
“Our power bills come to $18,000 a year, and we are saving $8000-9000 a year. It has cut our bills, although we do have more energy in summer than we do in winter.”
Both Instant Colour Press and Tafeda have received positive feedback from customers following the solar panel installations, demonstrating that the investment pays back beyond the power bills.
Del Castillo notes, “If the panels help our image, that is a bonus but it is not our purpose. We did it because it is the right thing to do. If customers see that we are using renewable energy and are excited about that, that is great.”
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