On top of Zimmerman’s building at 7030 44th Ave. in Moline are hundreds of solar panels that help the dealership stay energy efficient. Detail Operations Manager Eric Waldman said the decision to go solar was in the works for some time before the array went live in March 2023.
In Illinois, utilities must purchase the credits to meet their obligation to supply a certain amount of power from renewable energy projects to comply with the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard, according to Energy Equity Illinois. The RPS is a policy designed to increase the development and use of renewable energy sources for electricity generation.
“It wasn’t just the financial savings that made it make sense as a business decision, but it was the community impact,” Waldman said. “We know as electric cars become a bigger thing as time goes forward, those (energy) needs are going to increase. We just wanted to participate in that. It was one of those things that makes business sense, and because it’s for the planet and good for the community that we decided to proceed, as far as being energy efficient.”
