Throughout the pandemic, there has been a growing movement pushing for sustainability and green-living, with many taking to home gardens and other ecological practices.
According to Thad Mertick of Free Energy, the Golden based solar company has seen a similar uptick in business in line with the green movement, saying that over the last year he’s been installing lots of solar systems to help get people completely off the BC Hydro grid.
“I think there’s some really neat, cool technology and I what’s cool about solar and about the world is a lot of the products that are now coming out are organic, actually,” said Mertick.
“The Earth had billions of years to kind of develop solutions for us. And we’re what we’re discovering with a lot of technologies is that that the simple answer is the easiest and best answer to it.”
Mertick first opened Free Energy 11 years ago, drawing inspiration for the name for the fact that after the initial investment into solar energies, the technology pays of itself by eliminating hydro costs.
Mertick says that currently, with the price of solar panels and the cost of Hydro, it would take about six years for the panels to fully pay themselves off. He says that it’s an investment with a 20 year life, meaning that there is approximately 15 years of free energy to be gained .
With current costs, he says there’s no better time than today to get outfitted for solar energy.
“It’s one of the smartest investments that you can do right now,” said Mertick.
“People are starting to recognize it not just as a pipe dream, but something that makes financial sense.”
Originally, the inspiration for Free Energy came from Mertick’s desire as a kid to leave the lights on at home without getting in trouble for wasting electricity.
The more he researched the product, the more he came to realize and believe that solar was the way forward.
“It just seemed like such an easy answer, I truly think the world gives us simple answers to complicated questions,” said Mertick.
“We have an abundance of it and it just becomes free energy. I just love that thought.”
Mertick says that solar is not some far off dream and is easily deployed in Golden and has been focused on educating people on the benefits of solar power and dispelling any myths about it.
He says that in the winter with minimal sunlight, the panels do produce less power, but that the cold temperatures actually allow them to operate more efficiently, making Golden a perfect location.
Panels are durable, with Mertick saying that he’s outfitted not just homes, but RVs and other structures as well.
Free Energy will be offering an Earth Day sale as well on April 22.
