WADING INTO RENEWABLE ENERGY

When SIMMS Fishing Products moved its headquarters and production to Jack Rabbit Lane, they decided to invest in solar for their new building. For SIMMS, the decision to invest in solar was for more than just the financial benefits, they also wanted to do their part to assure clean air and water for the fish their business depends on. Their system is comprised of (144) SunPower 308 W solar panels and 4 SPR 11.4 Fronius inverters.

During 2012, SIMMS moved into its 62,000 sq. ft. headquarters west of Bozeman, MT, which also houses production and warehouse operations. Independent Power Systems (IPS) completed the installation of its 44.35 kW SunPower solar system in February 2013. The solar array is a capstone in SIMMS energy management solutions and offsets 20% of their energy consumption. (Note: Montana’s current net meter laws limit solar PV systems to 50kW in size per customer / per net meter.)

As a testament to the quality and efficiency of products and services IPS provides, to date the system is outperforming projected production estimates by 4%. This directly translates to a 4% increase in SIMM’s energy savings and, over time, adds another $11K to SIMM’s bottom line. SIMMS was able to go solar thanks to an industrial incentive program through NorthWestern Energy and two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Program grants.

Read the Montana Manufacturing Center’s quarterly newsletter from summer 2014 that features more about this system and SIMMS other sustainability initiatives.

"As the leading manufacturer of waders and related apparel for the fishing industry, we've been trying to conserve energy and do the right thing for the environment, which is such a big part of our business."

ROBERT GIBSON, SR., DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

SIMMS FISHING