Environment Ohio's Shining Cities report ranks Cincinnati as the leading solar city in the state and places it among the top five solar cities in the Midwest.
"By expanding solar energy, local governments can provide tremendous benefits to our health and our environment here in Ohio and throughout the country," says Nathaniel Ropski, campaign organizer for Environment Ohio.
A house at 416 Resor Avenue in Clifton is the latest solar project. The 7,700 kWh system was installed on a metal roof at a cost of about $14,000.
The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) Director of Operations Rob McCracken says the average-sized energy system producing between 8,000 kWh to 9,000 kWh of electricity a year could save homeowners around $70 dollars a month on their electric bill.
GCEA and the City of Cincinnati are partnering for a third year to sponsor the Solarize Cincy program. McCracken says a number of factors make solar attractive and economical:
- A 30 percent federal tax credit, which ends in 2019
- The cost of solar installation, which is down 75 percent in 10 years
- Using the Solarize Cincy Volume discount, which is about 15 percent
- Solar panel warranties now exceed 25 years
He says the first step is visiting SolarizeCincy.org, which uses a geo-spatial tool to tell you if your roof is a good fit for solar installation.
According to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) there are 299 commercial and residential systems in Hamilton County that are registered. Property owners don't have to register, so this doesn't include all solar systems.
McCracken says atthis link you can see all the registered systems in the state.
