Some of the most popular uses of sustainability fall into green energy for large companies

and corporations. These corporations look at some of the top growing green energy sources in
the United States and weigh the cost and benefits of these systems of solar energy, wind energy,
and geothermal energy. The main question of how much will this cost to set up? And when will
we make our money back on the initial investment? Both of these questions deal with the pricing
and costs affiliated with going green.
Solar energy is becoming one off the top solar energy choices due to its high energy
putout converting the suns energy. Average cost of a Solar panel system in the US is roughly
$10,000 for homes, and nearly triples that for small business. It equates to roughly $5000 per
KWH initial installation. (1) Government Incentives are the main reason companies will be
pushing for sustainability and green energy. Public entities across the country offer a number of
incentives to go solar. One of the best known of these is the Section 48 Investment Tax Credit
of the Energy Act of 2005. It provides for a 30% federal tax credit in exchange for installing
solar equipment. In addition, many states and local municipalities offer credits, rebates, or other
incentives for those who use renewable energy sources.(2) Significant tax breaks help reduce
the initial cost and increase the rate at which companies have a return on investment (ROI). A
company can determine the payback period for their solar investment, and calculate the (ROI) all
before choosing to go solar. To do this, a company needs to divide the initial investment costs by
its yearly benefit. The average ROI is between 10-20 years depending on how large of a grid the
company chooses to use.
Wind energy is the next largest fad in the United States and in global economies.
Companies are driven by demand and interest from their customers. For example, according to
the 2012 Global Consumer Wind Study, a survey of over 24,000 consumers in 20 countries, 74%

of consumers said they would have a more positive perception of a brand if wind energy were
the primary energy source used in its production, and 49% of consumers expressed willingness
to pay more for products made with renewable energy. (3) This article shows a very important
reason why companies would choose to way wind energy as a benefit and to commit to the large,
upfront, installation costs, because customers are willing to pay for products made from
renewable energy resources. However, these cost incurred just for one windmill can put a dent in
the companies pocket books. The costs for a utility scale wind turbine in 2012 ranged from about
$1.3 million to $2.2 million per MW of capacity installed, with the cost coming down
dramatically from what it was just a few years ago. Most of the commercial-scale turbines
installed today are 2 MW in size and cost roughly $3-$4 million to be installed. Wind turbines
have significant economies of scale. Cost components for wind projects include things other
than the turbines, such as wind resource assessment and site analysis expenses; construction
expenses; permitting and interconnection studies; utility system upgrades, transformers,
protection and metering equipment; insurance; operations, warranty, maintenance, and repair;
legal and consultation fees.(4) Other factors that will impact a companys project economics
include taxes and incentives. In order for ROI to occur it will take anywhere from 5-35 years
depending on size of the wind turbine. (5)
According to studies, an economically competitive geothermal power plant can cost as
low as $3400 per kilowatt installed. Most startups costs for the plants and digging of the pipes
runs in the millions and adds up quickly, very expensive, yet most cost effective out of all of the
resources. The average ROI for small plants will run around 5-10 years depending on how deep
they must place the pipes.(6) Looking at the chart below Geothermal energy is actually less in
Levelized costing than nuclear power plants which are almost 90% efficient. Knowing this data

can open up the eyes to large companies, and show them that going green is feasible when
looking at how much the benefits outweigh the cons and initial startup costs. in the long run
geothermal facilities and plants pay for themselves at least in half the time as solar and wind
energy do.

Resources
(1) Solar Panel Cost Guide. (February 23, 2014). Retrieved from
http://www.solarpanelscostguide.com/
(2) Ryan McNeil. The cost of going solar an affordable investment.(February 23,2014)
Renewable Energy Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/r
ea/blog/ post/print/2013/02/the-cost-of-going-solar-an-affordable-investment
(3) Consumers more willing to buy from brands using renewable energy (February 23, 2014).
Environmental Leader. Retrieved from http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/02/23/
consumers-more-willing-to-buy-from-brands-using-renewable-energy/
(4) How much do wind turbines cost? Project Economics. Windustry.(February 23,2014)
Retrieved from.http://www.windustry.org/resources/how-much-do-wind-turbines-cost
(5) Wind Turbine Scale and ROI. Green Options. (February 23, 2014) Retrieved from
http://www.greenoptions.com/t/191/wind-turbine-scale-and-roi
(6) Geothermic Basics-Power Plant Costs. Geothermal Energy Association (February 23, 2014).
Retrieved from http://www.geo-energy.org/geo_basics_plant_cost.aspx