Solar power in Ohio has been increasing, as the cost of photovoltaics has decreased. Ohio installed 10 MW of solar in 2015.[1] Ohio adopted a net metering rule which allows any customer generating up to 25 kW to use net metering, with the kilowatt hour surplus rolled over each month, and paid by the utility once a year at the generation rate upon request. For hospitals there is no limit on size, but two meters are required, one for generation, the other for utility supplied power.[2]

Solar panels in Cleveland

In 2010, the 12 MW solar farm in Upper Sandusky was the largest solar farm in the state.[3][4] It was later surpassed by the 20MW DG AMP Solar Bowling Green farm, which was completed in January 2017.[5]

The First Solar factory in Perrysburg can produce almost 600 MW of panels per year.[1]

Costs have decreased to the point that the average consumer may save approximately $17,527 over a 20-year period by installing solar panels.[6] Euclid's City Hall and library installed solar panels and expects to save $25,000 over the next 15 years. The panels were installed at no cost to the city by Ohio Cooperative Solar, which is leasing the rooftops.[7]

Solar projects

edit
 
Solar panels, Toledo Air National Guard Base, Swanton

Overall capacity of Ohio's utility-scale solar projects was estimated at 100 MW in December 2020, with an additional 400 MW projected to come online within a year.[8]

Toledo area

edit

In 2009, ground broke on what was then one of the largest solar fields in the United States, located in Wyandot County, near Upper Sandusky. The 12-MW plant, finished in September 2010,[9] was constructed by Germany-based Juwi Solar and is called Wyandot Solar LLC., leasing its energy to AEP.[10][11]

A 1.1 MW solar field was constructed by Advanced Distributed Generation on the University of Toledo campus.[12][13]

The airbase for 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard in Toledo has a 1.2 MW solar installation.[14][15]

In 2010, the Ohio Department of Transportation announced Xunlight and First Solar would provide 100 kW of panels for a $1.5 million research project at the Veterans' Glass City Skyway in Toledo.[16][17]

Dayton

edit

In 2009, University of Dayton graduate Zachary Layman's company Solar Roadways received a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop his solar road prototype, which embeds solar panels into driving surfaces.[18] It won General Electric's Ecomagination Challenge Award in 2010.[19]

Another of the state's largest solar arrays was constructed by The Dayton Power and Light Company in Dayton.[20] The solar field generates 1.1 Megawatts of power.[21] The facility will consist of 9,000 solar panels constructed over 7 acres (28,000 m2), and will generate enough electricity to power nearly 150 homes.[21][needs update]

Elsewhere

edit

In September 2009, Third Sun Solar in collaboration with the Akron Metro Regional Transit Authority and Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group installed the largest rooftop solar array in the state, comprising 2,076 solar modules producing 488 kW.[22][23]

Cincinnati Zoo and Melink Corporation announced the opening of a new 1.56 MW solar canopy in 2011. The 6,400 solar panels, located in the Zoo's Vine Street Parking Lot, provide 20% of the Zoo's power needs.[24]

In 2012, Campbell Soup Company built a 9.8 MW solar plant constructed to provide energy for its operations in Napoleon.[25][26]

Renewable portfolio standard

edit

HB6, which passed the state legislature in July 2019, phases out Ohio's renewable portfolio standard completely.[27] A referendum petition has been started to overturn HB6. Ohio had a renewable portfolio standard which calls for 0.06% from solar by 2012, 0.09% by 2013, and 0.5% from solar and 12.5% from renewable sources by 2026.[28] However, the standard was frozen in government in 2014 and no further increases were required.[1] Ohio used 154,145 million kWh in 2010.[29] Approximately 75 MW is required to generate 0.5% of the state's demand. Covering rooftops with solar panels in Ohio (46,800 MW) would generate 35.3% of demand.[30][needs update] Many of the homes, schools and businesses which have installed solar panels can be monitored online.[31][32]

Statistics

edit
Source: NREL[33]
Ohio Grid-Connected PV Capacity (MW)[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]
Year Capacity Installed % Change
2008 1.4 0.4 40%
2009 2.0 0.6 43%
2010 20.7 18.7 935%
2011 31.6 10.9 53%
2012 79.9 48.3 153%
2013 98.4 18.5 23%
2014 102 3 4%
2015 113 10 11%
2016 125 12 11%
2017 165 40 32%
2018 202.4 37.4 23%
2019 264.5 62.1 31%
2020 503.3 238.8 90%
2021 836.6 333.3 66.2%
2022 927 90.4 %
2023 2821.9 1254.7 %
Utility-scale solar generation in Ohio (GWh)[42]
Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2010 13 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 0
2011 16 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
2012 37 1 1 2 3 4 5 4 4 4 4 3 2
2013 47 2 2 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 5 4 4
2014 53 2 2 4 4 5 6 6 6 6 5 4 3
2015 57 3 3 5 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 3
2016 64 2 5 4 5 6 6 7 7 7 6 5 4
2017 107 3 7 8 9 12 13 13 12 12 7 6 5
2018 120 5 4 12 14 14 14 15 13 12 9 4 4
2019 142 5 8 12 12 13 14 20 19 14 12 7 6
2020 164 5 9 10 14 17 23 22 21 17 11 10 5
2021 656 9 24 47 49 56 53 95 96 86 57 51 33
2022 858 43 53 74 82 104 125 109 103 88 78 47 30
2023 1315 30 54 71 86 106 148 175 166 179 116 114 70
2024 1753 87 244 247 318 382 476

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c U.S. solar power demand intensifies, Toledo Blade, Jon Chavez, May 29, 2016
  2. ^ "DSIRE". programs.dsireusa.org.
  3. ^ "Care2 is the world's largest social network for good, a community of over 40 million people standing together, starting petitions and sharing stories that inspire action". www.care2.com.
  4. ^ Ohio's Largest Solar Farm Goes Online
  5. ^ Table 6.3. New Utility Scale Generating Units by Operating Company, Plant, and Month, 2017, Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, March 24, 2017
  6. ^ "How Much Does Solar Cost?".
  7. ^ "Euclid City Hall, library turning to solar energy for savings".
  8. ^ Gearino, Dan (2020-12-17). "Inside Clean Energy: The Solar Boom Arrives in Ohio". Inside Climate News. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  9. ^ "Wyandot County solar project finishes early", Juwi Solar. Accessed January 4, 2011
  10. ^ "German company to build area's largest solar field in Wyandot County", Retrieved 19 nov 2009.
  11. ^ "Solar Coming to Wyandot County", CMPND, Retrieved 19 nov 2009.
  12. ^ "Solar Field Nears Completion", Toledo Free Press. Retrieved 27 nov 2009.
  13. ^ Facilities and Construction: Renewable Energy , University of Toledo, accessed May 29, 2016
  14. ^ "Ohio Air National Guard expands solar energy field", Toledo Free Press, Retrieved 9 jan 2010.
  15. ^ Air Guard base adds to solar field, The Toledo Blade, Tom Henry, 1/6/2010
  16. ^ "Skyway to Become Ohio's First "Solar Highway", 104.7 WIOT. Retrieved 16 apr 2010.
  17. ^ "Skyway going solar on $1.5M U.S. grant", Toledo Blade. Retrieved 16 apr 2010.
  18. ^ "Idaho Man Builds 12 Foot Solar Road", Green Living Ideas. 17 feb 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  19. ^ "Solar Roadways shines in contest's popular vote".
  20. ^ "DP&L Officially Opens Largest Solar Power Facility in Southwestern Ohio", Market Watch. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  21. ^ a b " Largest Solar Power Facility in Southwestern Ohio", Retrieved 17 dec 2009.
  22. ^ "Ohio Unveils State's Largest Rooftop Solar Array". Energy. September 30, 2010.
  23. ^ "Ohio's Largest Solar Roof Celebrated".
  24. ^ "Largest Publicly Accessible Urban Solar Array". Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. May 9, 2011. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  25. ^ "Campbell Soup plans $21.6M solar facility".
  26. ^ Campbell Dedicates 9.8-Megawatt Solar Power System, SunPower Corp., June 21, 2012
  27. ^ Roberts, David (2019-07-27). "Ohio just passed the worst energy bill of the 21st century". Vox. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  28. ^ "DSIRE". programs.dsireusa.org.
  29. ^ Ohio Electricity Generation
  30. ^ "Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States: A Detailed Assessment".
  31. ^ "PV Ladder". www.pvoutput.org.
  32. ^ "Enphase US Map". enphase.com.
  33. ^ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  34. ^ Sherwood, Larry (June 2011). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  35. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2010). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-09-25. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  36. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
  37. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2009). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
  38. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2012). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2012" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). p. 16. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
  39. ^ Sherwood, Larry (July 2014). "U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013" (PDF). Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  40. ^ "Ohio Solar". SEIA.
  41. ^ Cite web|https://www.seia.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/Ohio.pdf%7Ctitle=Solar Spotlight|publisher=SEIA|
  42. ^ "Electricity Data Browser". U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
edit