News > Beagio’s Pizza – MI

Beagio’s Pizza – MI

  • IRA,
  • Rural Energy for America Program

By: Gabe Hutchison

Rural business owners in Michigan are turning to solar power to reduce fixed energy costs and hedge against rising electricity rates. In addition to federal renewable energy tax credits, small businesses in eligible areas can seek funding for solar projects through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

With help from these federal incentives made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Bill Heron of Beagio’s Pizza in Kingston, Michigan, recently installed a 40.5-kilowatt (kW) system.

The REAP grant covered 40% of the $100,000 roof-mounted array, which is projected to offset half of their energy needs. When the restaurant files its 2024 taxes, it will also secure additional savings through the 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

Bill first installed a solar array on his farm in 2006, where he experienced the benefits of solar firsthand. Now, as a business owner navigating rising food, labor, and operating costs, he knew solar could provide crucial savings. “We’ve got to do everything we can to crunch numbers. To stay alive,” Bill said.

By generating their own renewable energy, Beagio’s Pizza is set to significantly reduce their monthly electric bills and improve financial stability. Without REAP and the ITC, the upfront costs would have been prohibitive. “It’s just not good to lay out a substantial amount of money with the economy and the workforce the way it is,” Bill said. These federal incentives removed financial barriers, making solar a smart investment for the business.

Additional Quotes:

“I think we have to invest in our infrastructure a little bit ourselves, and that’s what we’re doing.”

“Plus you can depreciate the system off on your taxes too for a number of years.”

“What money does my roof make me? It [doesn’t] make me [anything], but my farmland does. So you might want to have it on your roof, is my thought”

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