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You might not recognize the name Basic Research®, but it's a good bet you know about the groundbreaking brands the company distributes. From "anti-aging" formulas like SeroVital® to the stress-reducing "feel-good" pill Relacore® Extra, skin-care products like the stretch-mark cream turned anti-wrinkle phenomenon StriVectin®-SD, Hylexin® and Dark Spot Eraser, weight-loss products like Zantrex®-3 and Vysera™-CLS, the innovative SmartShake shaker bottle and more, this distributor of consumer goods offers some of the top brands in their respective markets and distributes products in 61,000 individual retail outlets around the globe. Basic Research has an industry reputation for working only with those companies whose products represent cutting-edge product development and meticulous research. And now they're leading the way yet again…
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Basic Research has transformed its roof into an enormous solar energy array featuring 4,700 panels that generate approximately 1.4 Megawatts of non-polluting solar energy. This massive project was spearheaded by Cameron Faddis, Facilities Manager for Basic Research. "A few years ago, we implemented various mechanical measures which reduced our electrical consumption by 60% overall. The overwhelming success of this project opened our eyes to the possibilities of new ways to approach our energy use. We sat down with our mechanical contractor MSS (Mechanical Service & Systems) to see what more could be done. This solar project is the result of those discussions."
Faddis continues, "When we approached the CEO with the idea, he was enthusiastic about it. He has been involved with smaller solar projects in the past, and both the scale of this project and its associated environmental benefits excited him. It was a huge undertaking, but Basic Research has always been committed to being an innovator. The company got behind the idea and we made it happen."
"Our company has always been driven by a desire to improve the quality of people's lives," says Gina Daines, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Basic Research. "We've done that for over two decades with the weight-loss, beauty, and wellness formulations we distribute, and we feel like utilizing solar energy to have a positive environmental impact is just one more way that we can help make life better for the people in our community."
Basic Research, MSS and Intermountain Wind and Solar worked together to design and install an appropriate system for Basic's large facility. "We couldn't be happier with the way this project has turned out," Faddis says. "We really appreciate MSS for helping us get the ball rolling, Intermountain Wind and Solar for putting everything together, and Rocky Mountain Power for providing rebates that helped us become more energy efficient. We're definitely excited about the way this new solar energy system will not only help us save money as a company, but will have a more positive impact on the environment."
Local clean energy advocacy group, Utah Clean Energy is excited to see the project come to fruition as well, "This project is an excellent example of what a business can accomplish with the right combination of commitment and forward thinking. Solar energy coupled with energy efficiency will help them lock in their energy costs and plan for the future, to say nothing of the huge environmental benefits that this project brings to our community," says Sarah Wright, Utah Clean Energy Executive Director.
With the completion of phase 1 (efficiency measures) and now phase 2 (clean power generation), Basic Research is primed for phase 3: to become the first net-zero business in the state. Faddis hopes to reach that goal as early as the spring of 2015.
Basic Research will be officially unveiling its new solar array, which was completed at the end of 2013, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that will take place at the company's headquarters on April 16, 2014, at 11:30 a.m. Some of Utah's most prominent leaders and community members will be in attendance to help the company celebrate its new energy-conservation system.
To learn more about Basic Research and the cutting-edge products it distributes, please visit www.BasicResearch.org or call 1-801-517-7000.
SOURCE Basic Research
