MoveIt® Hosts Legislators & Council Members
On September 28th, 2018, MoveIt® was visited by State Legislators and Iowa Environmental Council Members for a tour of the MoveIt solar array.
Designed to encourage the use of environmentally-friendly energy and open up discussion regarding energy conservation in Iowa, the event was hosted by Iowa Environmental Council, an alliance of individuals and organizations that work together to protect Iowa’s natural environment. Joined by the Iowa Community Action Association, the two groups hosted an energy tour of three different businesses leading in Iowa energy conservation: MoveIt, the McFarland Clinic and New Opportunities.
Nature-Friendly Workspace
The tour began with a kick-off lunch at McFarland Clinic’s Carroll office. Ron Franzen, director of facilities was first to present. Franzen shared stories of McFarland’s energy efficiencies, noting that McFarland is Central Iowa’s largest physician-owned multi-specialty clinic. The McFarland facility uses 84 geothermal wells that reach 280 feet into the ground and an energy monitoring system that helps the building’s utilities “go to sleep” during the night and “wake up” again in the morning.
Community Ties
The group then traveled across town to a home that has been updated through New Opportunities’ Weatherization Program. Mike Berg, weatherization director for New Opportunities and Mary Greving, director of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, explained their roles and how the weatherization program has assisted 3,319 homes.
The tour ended at MoveIt headquarters in Breda. Derek Sadler of Current R/E explained how his company helped MoveIt install an 80 KW solar array that is designed to cover 100% of the energy usage at MoveIt headquarters. Any energy that exceeds the company’s demand is sent back to the municipal utility.
Solar vs. Wind
Todd Partridge, Vice President of Operations at MoveIt noted that they had been considering using both wind and solar energy, but chose solar because it requires less maintenance and is more reliable. Their production estimates for the solar array have been “spot on.” MoveIt thanked the city of Breda for their cooperation and also expressed gratitude for federal and state solar tax credits that were able to offset 30 and 15 percent of the project costs, respectively.
Striving for Continued Growth
Leaders of MoveIt are proud to describe their firm as “cutting edge” – not only in the logistics field but also in energy conservation. Their solar project is part of a long list of energy conservation features utilized by the MoveIt headquarters – a “green” facility that opened in 2009. The MoveIt headquarters act as a high-performance workspace that is energy-efficient and sustainable. Designed by LEED Certified architect, John Shaw, recycled glass, porcelain and composite wood building products were utilized whenever possible, as well as state-of-the art lighting and geothermal heating and cooling.
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