YESCO had the opportunity in Elko, Nevada to construct new structures using solar powered lighting.  This was a first for YESCO and Billboard Insider caught up with Matt Largent, who took the lead on the project.

I understand these solar boards are a first for YESCO?

That is correct. YESCO has looked into solar in years past, but at the time it just wasn’t cost-effective and the solar panels were less effective than the technology we have today. We are very particular about the look of our boards and we wanted to be careful that the solar panels do not draw attention away from the ad copy and reduce our product’s effectiveness.

How many boards did you light with solar on this stretch of road near Elko, NV? Why these boards in particular?

We installed solar systems on three billboards along I-80 near Elko, NV. These are new signs that we had just leased this year. Due to some restrictions with the landowner and his use of heavy equipment, we could not do overhead power on this property. The cost of trenching the entire length between the three signs was very high and made the move to solar more cost-effective. Another major factor was that these signs are on the Southside of the interstate and it allowed us to place the solar panels inside the open end of the structure. This helped us conceal the solar panels from view, which is important to us. It also doesn’t hurt that there is no shortage of sun in Nevada.

Did you do the whole solar project internally or did you work with an outside group? 

We worked with Kevin Conlin with Autonomous Power. He was great to work with throughout the whole process. I had been getting quotes from a few different solar providers and his experience providing solar specifically to billboards really set him apart. He had the answers we needed when the others just asked more questions.

How did the process go?  Any learning pains the first time through?

The process went very smoothly. Kevin provided us with measurements and weights for the system and we were able to modify our structures to hold the solar panels and batteries, which saved us a lot of time and effort in the field. As this was our first time installing a solar system, Kevin made the trip from Houston to Elko to walk us through the process and make sure it was all wired correctly. We were able to install the solar panels and batteries while the billboard heads were on the ground which simplified the whole process for us. We honestly did not have many pains and we had power to the signs much quicker than if we had gone through the power company.

Do you have a sense of the total cost savings for YESCO?  How about the payback period for the solar investment?

The cost of the three solar systems was very comparable to the cost we were quoted to have the power company bring in a new service and trench the distance between all of the signs. With the start-up costs in mind, the solar investment should be paid back in just a couple of years. We are now saving about $2,000 annually in power costs for these three signs. We will be paying attention to any additional maintenance costs that we may incur in the future and using those to evaluate the total costs as well. Assuming the system holds up like we believe it will, we will be looking to power more signs with solar going forward.

Here is a short video of a drive through the new signs.