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Solar Rises in the West
By Timothy Denman

Bo and Irene Ferenc have always been committed to the environment, and after 20 years in the car wash business have taken the next step towards the elusive “green” wash.

The Ferencs opened West 10 Car Wash and Detail Center in Succasunna, NJ in 1989. From day one, the express exterior has been curtailing its water usage through reclaim (only six gallons of fresh water is used per car), and over the years has adopted environmentally safe wash chemicals as they became available.

In celebration of their 20th year in business, the Ferencs have taken their environmental efforts to the next level with the installation of a solar power system.

The Solar Center of Rockaway, NJ provided the system that features two groupings of solar panels that produce 40 percent of the wash’s power. In addition to the utility bill savings, the system also produces revenue through credits that are sold back to the utility provider. The newly installed system is projected to produce over $155,000 in revenue over the next 15 years.

“For our 20th anniversary we wanted to do something environmentally sound,” Irene says. “With the current economy it is important to see where you can make some added savings. We aren’t planning on going anywhere for a while so solar power was a perfect fit.”

Further motivating the Ferencs to install the system were state tax rebates and federal grants available to any business producing solar power.

“About 55 percent of the installation costs were covered by tax rebates and grants,” Daniel Kaberabek of The Solar Center says. “The system can utilize accelerated depreciation, bringing the payback period to a conservative four years.”

Once the solar system was up and running, the Ferencs hosted a 20th anniversary and ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate. The event was attended by the mayor, local councilmen, and was covered by the local paper.

The wash’s tunnel is 120 feet with a 110-foot conveyor — the extra interior room houses the covered greeter station. Once aboard the conveyor, customers are treated to a ride through the well-maintained Belanger-equipped tunnel.

One of the many signs at West 10 that promotes the wash’s “green” efforts.

Seven self-serve coin-operated vacuums greet customers at the tunnel’s exit.

“Most of our equipment is original,” Irene says. “We pride ourselves on taking care of the equipment. We have daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance programs in place.”

Upon exiting the tunnel, customers can make a purchase at the small vending area or utilize one of the wash’s seven coin-operated self-serve vacuums.

Although dedicated to maintaining their original equipment, the Ferencs are always looking for ways to improve the wash. West 10 will be receiving a new conveyor and drying system in the near future to keep up with industry trends.