Grant has a new update from the Ocean Builders Factory here in Panama. We are getting closer to going completely off-grid and being able to create 100% of the electricity that we will use.

This update comes from the roof of the factory where we are installing some new solar panels that will generate electricity to power the factory. These panels will allow us to break free from having to use municipal power and shift our energy usage to 100% renewable energy.

This is important for a few reasons. The first is that we are always committed to reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. Solar panels are better for the environment since they don’t burn coal or oil to generate electricity like most power plants. Providing clean energy to the factory is a great way to reduce our carbon footprint.

Another reason to use solar panels is that we will greatly reduce our electricity bill. Things like this add up and making our business operate more efficiently will help the overhead and keep things moving slowly. Every dollar counts and a dollar saved is a dollar that we can put back into the company to further our research, development, or production.

After we get the panels fully installed we have some more work to do down below to get things wired up and functional. We will be able to power most of the factory with these new panels once everything is wired in.

We need to install a few new panels so that we can draw 3-phase power from these panels for our bigger machines like the welders that draw more electricity. So for now those things will still operate on electricity from the grid but we will eventually be able to run them from solar power as well.

Being in a tropical place like Panama means that we get lots of sunny days so if the sun is beating down on our roof, we might as well harness the energy and help save the environment at the same time. Our commitment to being eco-friendly runs deep in our company and we want to do everything that we can to do our part and go green.