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StumbleHenderson companies blazing green trail with ‘net-zero’ goal
Matthew Ryba, CEO for TWC construction, a partner company of ProCaps Laboratories, explains the next steps the company will take to convert their building to a net-zero facility. Monday July 25th, 2011.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 | 2 a.m.
A schematic drawing of the planned solar structure at ProCaps Laboratories, 431 Eastgate Road in Henderson. The blue represents solar panels that are already in place, while the purple represents the planned expansion to the structure.
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In Matthew Ryba’s third-floor office sits a whiteboard filled with colored drawings and shorthand notations detailing power use at the manufacturing site for Henderson-based ProCaps Laboratories.
Ryba, director of special projects for ProCaps, a vitamin and supplement company, is figuring out the calculus that will help reduce the 170,000-square-foot building’s power consumption to zero.
“Our goal is to remove our carbon footprint,” he said.
Once that happens, the warehouse, located on Eastgate Road, will become the largest building in the country to use no energy, 15 times larger than the current recordholder.
ProCaps and its partner company and co-tenant TWC Construction, for which Ryba is the CEO, have already made significant strides toward the goal.
Employees of the two companies park in the shade provided by a 44,000-square-foot solar structure built above the parking lot. The roof of the building where ProCaps manufactures millions of vitamin capsules a week is covered with another 22,000 square feet of solar panels, and the inside factory and office spaces are outfitted with energy efficient LED lights.
A new project slated for completion in December will extend the parking lot’s solar structure up over the building, and add additional solar panels over the truck docks and on the roof.
Then, by Ryba’s calculations, the electric meter that measures the building’s energy consumption will begin to spin backward.
“We’re going to make it,” he said. “Here the meter will spin, and slow down, then stop. Then it will spin backward when we’re producing more than we’re using. At night, when the sun goes down and we’re not producing at all, it will start to go forward. My challenge is to project … where those lines cross.”
The power usage at the factory is high — about 3.1 million kilowatt-hours each year — with a climate-controlled warehouse storing ingredients, and various mixers and assembly lines in use up to 20 hours a day to turn those ingredients into a salable product.
“We’ve got blenders the size of Volkswagens mixing product up,” Ryba said.
Efficient lighting and HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) systems help reduce consumption, but the core of ProCaps’ efforts lies in its energy production.
The solar projects are expensive — Ryba won’t say how much ProCaps is spending on the solar installation — and the initial return on investment is low.
“Solar as an economic vehicle for making money is somewhat challenged for something of this size,” he said.
Instead, Ryba says the privately owned company is focusing on going net-zero because “it’s the right thing to do” and fits in with the vision of ProCaps founder Andrew Lessman.
“Why doesn’t everybody do it?” Ryba asked. “You need the resources, the vision, the will and the desire to do the right thing and give back. You have to have someone who’s socially conscious like Mr. Lessman, (someone) who wants to lead by example.”
The solar projects at the ProCaps facility have been done by TWC construction, which was co-founded by Ryba and Lessman in 1997, giving the company experience in the field.
It has used that background on solar projects for the Las Vegas city government and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Ryba said the company hopes to become a leader in the field as more companies in Southern Nevada move to take advantage of the region’s ideal climate for solar energy production.
But reaching net-zero energy consumption is more to Ryba and Lessman than a business plan or sales tool.
“We’re going to be making all-natural vitamins solely powered by the sun,” Ryba said. “We’re doing the right thing and we’re showing people it can be done.”
Discussion: 7 comments so far…
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I applaud their efforts. Costly initially but worth it. The article did not mention the substantial federal tax credits companies receive for solar projects like this. Better to do this now while the 30% federal tax credit is still available.
Ryba is one guy to be proud of.
His outlook in this solar paradise is matched by his output of excellent ideas and stellar leadership in both solar applications and efficiency of design and operations.
He has taken the time to invest money and effort to produce the goods in a way that honors the human spirit through respect for what graces we are given, for the power of sunlight, and for practical applications from the advances in technology that all of us could recognize.
His footprint marks giant steps; his wake, sublime gratitude for our time and place.
The solar projects are very expensive and that is which tons of Federal debt money.
At least you should feel pround that your children and their children and their children and their children and their children and so on will be forever paying interest on that Federal debt.
Funny how he didn't mention costs of doing this. The simple fact is even with gov't assistance it doesn't pencil out. I don't envy or applaud someone who is so wasteful with their money. Let's see where they are in 5 yrs.
Who woulda thunk it -- someone in Las Vegas who cares more about the planet than their personal bank account?
Once the project is complete that business will never have to pay for electricity again -- ever, not even for a hundred years. And it's using clean energy from the sun that leaves no carbon footprint.
"We're doing the right thing and we're showing people it can be done."
Sounds pretty smug and condescending from a man who lives in a 4,800 square foot house.
Reminds me of Al Gore with his mansions, private jets and limousine lifestyle.
On a side note, only highly profitable companies are in a position to do these types of things. Profitable companies are good for everybody.
Money is the root of all good.
Thomas,
The size of the house does not mean a person in wasteful in resources.
My house is more then double the size of many of our friends yet their power bill is three times what mine is.
Deal in facts rather then slam someone for something you don't have the facts on.
vegaslee, the size of the house does matter if they are going to preach to the rest of us on how to live OUR lives.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for people living however they wish, and I'm glad the vitamin company is doing well. I just question the real reasons this company won't release the actual install cost figures. It appears they want all the praise and good publicity as being "enviromentally aware" but won't admit that it would not be cost effective without government subsidies.
Also it appears TWC Construction specializes in solar panel installations and would benefit greatly if more laws were passed requiring even more "green energy".
We have a growing homeless population in this country, how about we save them first...
How much money did BP Oil corporation just make by the way?
Yea, these corporations really care about the planet, as does our government who did nothing to BP, who now is pulling in a nice profit just one year after the biggest oil spill in our countries history.
What a joke.
save homeless people from what??
great idea... everybody who is working can just open their doors for the homeless people while working, and then come home from work and the homeless people leave and hang outside somewhere until another person has to go to work. There. Saved 'em!
What's the matter with BP making money?
Just because they had an issue with one bad well doesn't mean they go away. We need the petroleum products so we working folks can get to work? What were you thinking? ...Or were you??
Ha, jealous much? Just because someone is wealthy, doesn't mean that they're bad... Andrew Lessman and Matt Ryba are doing good with the money they have made. So, if he DIDN'T do something like this the complaints would be, "look at all of the money they make and they don't even care about the environment..." Look at the history of the company and look at what they have done for people. These two men are good people and care about others. Maybe solar is a bit too expensive now for the general populace, but without companies like this funding large solar projects, the price will never come down, as research won't continue. So, you should be thanking these companies for spending the money when they don't have to. If the government subsidies were just free money for nothing, every company would be building solar arrays.