Runde Auto Group is Going Green with Solar Panels!

Runde Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Manchester is hoping for plenty of sunshine after having invested in solar panels.

Earlier this week, the dealership was outfitted with solar panels on the roof of the main structure so it’s now running partially on power from the sun.

The panels were installed by Blue Sky Solar.

“I thought it was really great that Runde’s was so forward-thinking,” said Raki Giannakouros, the vice president of Blue Sky Solar. “I would say that now solar is the hot item in Iowa. I used to call people to try to sell solar and now I’m trying to keep up with the calls.”

There are 80 PV panels on the dealership’s roof. The SolarWorld PV panels, which use mono crystalline cell technology, are made in the USA and are among the industry’s best.

According to Blue Sky Solar’s website, the panels produce electric current when exposed to sunlight. Inverters convert the direct current from the panels to the alternating current that the building uses. The current is then routed to the building’s main electrical panel, which makes it available for use just like energy from the grid.

The panels at Runde Auto Group are projected to put out 28,000 kilowatt hours per year.

With the use of an app, we are able to track the panels’ energy output each day. So far, they have harnessed 4.8 MWh (milliwatt-hours), which is equivalent to 65 trees being planted or a car ride of nearly 10,500 miles!

For more information about Blue Sky Solar, visit www.blueskysolarco.com!  Or you can call Raki at 563-542-5725 and he’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.  He was more than helpful throughout the implementation of this project.  It was quite a large investment for our dealership so of course there were initial reservations, but Raki was able to put our minds at ease.  We highly recommend Blue Sky Solar.