David Boyer’s interest in energy-efficient construction prompted formation of a start-up company manufacturing modular wall panels.

Boyer, president and CEO of Prosoco and newly formed Build Smart, said internal discussion naturally led to investigation of installing solar panels on the Build Smart plant in an industrial park on the eastern edge of Lawrence. The financial assessment of a 100 kilowatt solar array is promising — projected savings of $14,000 in the first year and a return on investment within six years.

The unit began producing electricity in March.

"The decision to invest in solar energy came from a desire for our operations to match the energy-efficient, resilient properties of our products," Boyer said. "We realized that it’s really not as difficult or cost-prohibitive as we’d anticipated."

Jason Aytes, a commercial energy adviser with Brightergy in Kansas City, Mo., said economics of solar energy made it a viable alternative for Kansas businesses pushing the envelope.

"It’s business agnostic," he said. "A big company. A small company. It doesn’t matter what you produce. I think solar can make a lot of sense."

Dorothy Barnett, executive director of Hutchinson-based Climate & Energy Project, said the nonprofit helped form the Clean Energy Business Council to help businesses capitalize on potential of renewable energy sources in Kansas and the Kansas City region.

She said the goal was to grow the number harvesting sunshine — the same commodity that placed Kansas in the nation’s food production breadbasket.

"We have an abundant solar resource. We have the demand. We’re really not tapping into that potential," Barnett said. "There are opportunities to create jobs. There are opportunities to increase our solar manufacturing, our solar installation. Let’s explore what is missing."

Barnett said interest in commercial and residential applications of solar energy were limited, in part, because Kansas wasn’t among states with substantial incentives for entry into the solar market. The state has a weak system of net metering, which enables producers to funnel excess power to the state’s electrical system.

There is interest among Kansas utility regulators to assess a special fee on solar generators to help support the state’s distribution network, she said.

"It will dry up the market with solar companies," Barnett said.

In 2015, Kansas lawmakers repealed the state’s renewable energy portfolio, which contributed to investment in wind farms by utility companies tied to coal, natural gas or nuclear fuels.

Antonio Soave, secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, toured the Build Smart facility. The sister company to Prosoco is fabricating construct on panels that incorporate into customized sections the wood framing, insulation, plywood, weather barriers and high-performance windows.

He didn’t endorse new government incentives to spur solar power in Kansas, but acknowledged clean-energy business required investors to examine those opportunities with a different lens.

"Out of the gate, they don’t always make sense financially or otherwise," he said. "Looking at these types of businesses, you need to look beyond normal, because these are not normal businesses."

Boyer is banking on the construction industry’s growing affinity for the company’s alternative construction panels. The side venture of solar panels on the roof at Build Smart are already paying dividends, he said.

"Regardless of whether you live in a state that’s business-friendly for renewable energy or not, solar energy can benefit your bottom line, your community and the environment. That’s what we hope to demonstrate," he said.