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GEO in the News 2009

Solar System Puts Owner in Sunny Mood
Alternative Energy Highlighted in Tour
Columbus Dispatch, Sunday, October 01, 2006
Lee Stratton

Few people enjoy the long, sunny days of summer more than Scotte Elliott.

"We air-condition our house," Elliott said. "But on just about any sunny day in the summer, we can see the electric meter run backward."

During daylight hours, the solar panels on his roof produce more electricity than the 2,000-square-foot home uses.

Elliott's home in Lewis Center is one of five that will be open next Sunday during a tour highlighting the use of solar energy.
.

The Central Ohio Solar Tour will feature houses, businesses and public buildings. The event is part of a statewide solar-energy information program next weekend, sponsored by the nonprofit organization Green Energy Ohio.

Elliott, an information-systems engineer, had the 2.2-kilowatt system installed at his home in June. The solar panel covers about half of the rear roof on the south side of the home.

"It's designed to produce about a third of the electricity that we use," he said. "It has been working about as well as we expected. In August we did 273 kilowatt hours."

Elliott's house, built three years ago by M/I Homes, received the federal Energy Star rating for energy efficiency.

"My system cost around $15,000," he said. "I got a state grant for $5,500 and federal tax credit for $2,000, which covered about half of it."

Cutting his electric bill was not his main motivation to invest in a solar system."I was primarily interested in the environment and achieving some energy independence," he said. "Even with all the incentives, the payback is quite a long time."

Elliott expects the system will need 20 years to produce enough electricity to pay for itself.

"The panels are warranted for 20 years and are expected to last much longer than that."

Despite improvements in solar energy equipment, many homeowners haven't updated their attitudes about alternative energy, said Bill Spratley, executive director of Green Energy Ohio.
.

Eliott
The solar panels on the roof produce electricity
for Scotte Elliott's Lewis Center home,
which will be part of the Central Ohio Solar Tour.

Carpenter's House
The solar panels on the roof of this Delaware home
produce about 90 percent of the electricity used during
the year, the owner said.

"People in Ohio think it doesn't work here because there are too many overcast days," he said.

First Solar, a major manufacturer, has a factory in Perrysburg. All of the equipment made there is sold in Germany, which typically enjoys fewer sunny days than the Buckeye State, he said.

The Ohio Solar tour is intended to make more people aware solar energy's potential.

"It's important for people to see that this stuff really works," Spratley said.

Government-sponsored incentives and the rising cost of fossil fuels are attracting more businesses to venture into alternative energy systems, he said.

"It's still expensive, but for the first time since 1985 we have tax credits available," he said.

State grants also exist.

The Ohio Department of Development's Energy Office offers grants of up to $25,000 to help homeowners pay the cost of solar systems.

The grants are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, said Sherry Hubbard, energy outreach manager for the state office. The amount is based on $3.50 per watt produced by the solar energy system. Homeowners must be served by investor-owned utilities such as American Electric Power.

"Solar energy is not a panacea," Spratley said. "It's not a silver bullet. But we need a more acceptable mix of a variety of energy sources in the future.

"Solar should be a bigger part of the mix."

lstratton@dispatch.com 

If you go

THE CENTRAL OHIO SOLAR TOUR
A free tour of central Ohio homes, offices and other facilities that use solar energy will take place next Sunday. The tour is divided into four tours. Shuttle service will be available on two tour routes. Participants can drive to any of the sites in the four areas. Each site will be open for a limited time. Free lunch will be offered at each of the three starting locations. Reservations are required for the shuttle tours. For shuttle reservations and other information call 1-866-473-3664, or visit www.greenenergy ohio.org/ost.

THE EVENT INCLUDES :

CENTRAL TOUR

? 1555 Lane Ave., Upper Arlington: Free lunch, shuttle service and tour information will be offered from 1 to 1:45 p.m. at Wild Oats Market.

? 515 E. Main St.: The Design Group, which uses passive-solar energy and sunlight to reduce energy consumption, will be open from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m.

? 258 N. 21 st. St.: Solar equipment used to recharge tools at the construction site of an energy-efficient home to be built by high-school students will be demonstrated from 3 to 3:30 p.m.

? 358 N. Parkway Ave., Bexley: A 3-kilowatt solar-energy system on the Governor?s Residence carriage house will be featured from 4 to 4:30 p.m. as it charges batteries for emergency power.

? 1306 N. Jackson Ave., Reynoldsburg: A home with a solar power system on a pergola will be shown from 5 to 5:30 p.m.

NORTHWEST TOUR

? 9801 Hyland Croy Rd., Plain City: The Glacier Ridge Metro Park, which uses a wind turbine and solar array to generate electricity at the park, will host lunch and clean energy discussions from 1 to 2 p.m.

? 9559 Industrial Parkway, Plain City: Rainfresh Harvests farms, which uses a variety of solar and windturbine power generators, will be open from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

NORTH TOUR

? 139 E. Broadway, Westerville: The Westerville Electric Division will offer discussions of clean energy from 1 to 2 p.m. A lunch and shutttle service also will be available at the site.

? 623 Sanville Dr., Lewis Center: A home featuring a 2.2-kilowatt photovoltaic system will be open from 2:30 to 3 p.m.

? 932 Executive Blvd., Delaware: A residence with a 4.9-kilowatt solar system, which produces most of the home?s electricity, will be open from 3:30 to 4 p.m.

SOUTH TOUR

? 6220 Young Rd., Grove City: The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, which is building a landfillgas-fired electrical generation system, will be open from noon to 1:30 p.m. for lunch and information on clean energy.

[See Guidebook for GEO Central Ohio Solar on Saturday, October 8, 2006 at:
http://www.greenenergyohio.org/page.cfm?pageID=990]