Wetsuit Wearhouse Completes Rooftop Solar Project

Years in the Making

Wetsuit Wearhouse, the largest wetsuit specialty shop in the world, has completed the rooftop solar array at its headquarters in Williamsport, Maryland. With several years of planning and energy efficiency projects, the company has reached its goal of energy self-sufficiency.

A word from our CEO

“Being environmentally conscious has always been part of our mission,” said Chris Moleskie, Founder, President & CEO of Wetsuit Wearhouse. “As a distribution center, all cardboard is reused or recycled, plastic hangers are bundled and taken by the tractor-trailer load for recycling, and we even found a company that dismantles and recycles k-cups. Anything we can do to minimize the impact on landfills.” He also said each employee has a recycling receptacle at their desk.

The solar array at Wetsuit Wearhouse was another stride in their environmentally friendly workplace. After thinking about the big picture, studying their electrical consumption, and discussing tax incentives, Millennium 3 Energy, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was selected to install the panels.

“I’ve always admired the forward-thinking mentality of Chris and the Wetsuit Wearhouse team, always making energy efficiency a priority,” said Phil Kelly, owner of Millennium 3 Energy. “The array we installed consists of 100 panels that produce approximately 36,095 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which will provide all their kilowatt-hours.” Mr. Kelly noted that a number of businesses in the area are enjoying the benefits of getting their power from the sun.

“Our solar project was made possible by generous tax incentives from the state and federal government,” Mr. Moleskie explained. “We were one of three recipients in Washington County, Maryland to receive the USDA REAP Grant, with the help of our solar contractor, Millennium 3 Energy.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants to agricultural operations and small businesses in rural areas for renewable energy projects. In 2015, the USDA allocated $63 million to alternative-energy projects, including solar, wind, and hydropower.

It Doesn’t End There…

In addition to the solar array and their recycling program, Wetsuit Wearhouse has upgraded to motion-sensed LED lighting to reduce power consumption, which cut their electricity consumption by one-third, and replaced the HVAC boiler with high-efficiency heat pumps.