Caitlin Garrity, Author at Kokosing Solar

Top Locations for Electric Vehicles in Ohio

Posted on June 1, 2021December 8, 2021 by Caitlin Garrity

Where are Ohio’s top locations for Electric Vehicles?

In the U.S., the most significant source of greenhouse gas emissions comes from cars and trucks. Transportation accounted for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. According to the EPA, “Over 90 percent of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum-based, which includes primarily gasoline and diesel.”

Stats like these are motivating Ohioans to consider going electric with their next car purchase. Electric Cars are better for the environment, require less maintenance, and electricity is cheaper than gasoline (especially if you have solar).

So, What are the Top Locations for Electric Vehicles in Ohio

Top Alternative Fuel Vehicles by County in Ohio 2018 – current

Franklin County (Columbus) – 4,154
Cuyahoga County (Cleveland) – 2,771
Hamilton County (Cincinnati) – 2,563
Summit County (Akron) – 1,249
Delaware County (Central Ohio) – 1,144
Montgomery County (Dayton) – 1,071
Lucas County (Toledo) – 672
Lorain County (Northeast Ohio) – 561

Columbus, Ohio, seems to be the top location for electric vehicles in Ohio. It’s also the most populated city in the state. Following Columbus are our two key metropolitan Cities: Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Top Electric Vehicle Models in Ohio

Top 10 Alternative Fuel Vehicles in Ohio – From 2018– now

TESLA Model 3 – 5,438
Chevrolet Volt – 2,717
Tesla Model S – 2,437
Tesla Model Y – 1,395
Nissan Leaf – 1,331
Tesla Model X – 1,155
Chevrolet Bolt EV – 891
Ford Fusion – 889
Ford C-max – 710
Toyota Prius Prime – 701

The U.S. has seen a slow adoption of electric vehicles compared to other countries. In 2020 E.V. registrations reached a new record by taking up 1.8% of overall U.S. light vehicles registered.

Some of the barriers to Electric Vehicle Adoption in the U.S. include:

High costs for Electric Vehicles
Few options for models
Challenges recharging vehicles

Building Infrastructure in Ohio

With an awareness of these barriers, private and public entities are making processes to make Electric Vehicles accessible to more drivers.

According to Clean Fuels Ohio, last month, The Ohio EPA awarded $3.25 million in grants to support the installation of E.V. infrastructure. The grants fund more than 500 publicly accessible Level 2 electric vehicle charging ports at more than 170 locations in 22 counties.

Lordstown, Ohio

In 2020 ground broke on an electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Lordstown, Ohio.

The facility will produce Ultium batteries for a new Cadillac electric car, a new electric Hummer sport utility vehicle. The project is a $2.3 billion joint venture between G.M. and South Korea’s L.G. Chem.

Bringing the production of Electric Vehicle batteries to the United States tackles some of the barriers listed above.

“Sales of E.V.s are set to exceed a 3.5% overall market share in 2021 and climb to a more than 10% share in 2025, due to broader product offerings, according to IHS Markit. More than 100 new E.V. options are expected to launch between 2021 and 2025.”

Spotlight on Solar and Electric Vehicles in Columbus, Ohio

As with solar power, building out the infrastructure for Electric Vehicles will require coordination. Public and private partnerships have been the golden standard for widespread solar adoption. And we can see the same happening with electric vehicles.

In 2016 Columbus, Ohio, was awarded a $10 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge.

In 2015, only 0.38% of new cars purchased in the seven-county region were E.V.s. We set a goal to increase E.V. ownership by 500% to 1.8% by 2020.

Fortunately, we’re on pace to meet or surpass that goal, with E.V. sales exceeding 2% of vehicles sold at the end of 2018.

How did they do it?

Engaging employers
Building out workplace charging
Hosting events
Working with dealers
Building a playbook

Solar, Electric Vehicles, and You

Third Sun Solar proudly offers Electric Vehicle charger installation as a service to homeowners interested in going green all the way. More and more, we see homeowners who go solar install Electric Vehicle chargers before buying the Electric Vehicle itself.

When you go solar, you have the opportunity to set yourself up for an entirely green lifestyle.

With Solar plus an Electric Vehicle, homeowners can charge their cars and, in most cases, drive more economically than they would by charging from the grid or public charging stations.

If you’re interested in learning more from our team about how we can make your clean energy dreams a reality, reach out today.

Considering Solar in Cleveland Ohio

Posted on March 10, 2020July 23, 2024 by Caitlin Garrity

Jaber Wahel began considering solar in Cleveland, Ohio. 2 years later, he had Kokosing Solar install a 20-panel array on a flat, south-facing roof of his house. The array was designed to offset 46% of Jaber’s electricity in one year.

His motivation for going solar? It was primarily environmental, but the investment also needed to make economic sense. Most of the savings a homeowner sees when they go solar come from the savings in electricity bills over that time, but a significant portion for Jaber also came from the 30% Federal Tax Credit that he claimed.

The Journey

Jaber often goes to California for work. Over time, he saw more and more homes in the Golden State with solar. This indicated to him that a movement was building. Seeing the significant solar infrastructure in CA first sparked his interest in the solar movement.

Considering Solar in Cleveland Ohio

Jaber’s first step when shopping for solar, like many homeowners just beginning their solar journey, was to learn.

Solar in Cleveland Ohio?

Jaber was first interested in how the climate affects solar production. Sure, solar was booming in California, but does solar make sense in Ohio? Working with Kokosing Solar, he found out that solar, even in an area like Cleveland, Ohio, despite getting far less sun time than places like California, still gets enough to make solar PV installation practical.

Roof Slope

Jaber was curious how the angle of his roof would affect the system’s efficiency. Unlike most of our residential customers, his panels sit on a flat roof surface on the southern side of his home. This roof space was where he had the most uninterrupted, southern-facing roof space.

In Ohio, anywhere between a 4/12 and a 7/12 roof pitch is just fine for solar. These angles maximize the sunlight captured in both the summertime and winter. To get this desired pitch on a flat roof, Kokosing Solar uses ballasted racking, which tip the panels at a 10-degree tilt. Though panel efficiency does change a little depending on the angle of your roof, the difference is minimal.

Net Metering

Jaber was surprised to learn that he didn’t need solar batteries to go solar. He learned that if your home is connected to the grid, a solar system works seamlessly with your current electricity supplier to ensure that you have power. When it’s nighttime or snowy, the energy you use comes from the grid. Energy comes from your panels when the sun is shining. And, when the sun is shining, and you aren’t using energy, that extra energy is exported to the grid to power your neighbor’s homes, and you get credit for the energy you’ve produced. Net metering is the policy through which customers receive credits for the excess energy they produce.

The Plunge

When Jaber started considering solar in Cleveland, Ohio, he got quotes in the $50-60,000 range. Since then, the prices dropped significantly, and paired with federal incentives, solar made financial sense.

Reaping the Benefits

The most surprising part of Jaber’s process was how fast the installation took – in his case, it was just one day! For Kokosing Solar, the typical residential solar installations last between 1-4 days. The electric company came out within the next couple of days to switch out his meter for one that understands how to work with the solar system. After that, he turned on his system and started producing his own electricity!

His favorite part about his solar array is that the system is 100% hands-off. He says: “You just set it and forget it – it’s plug and play- you don’t think about it ever.” What has been the best part of having a solar powered home so far?

According to Jaber, the best part is that it works! He really is able to harness the sun to produce his own electricity.

Solar in Shaker Heights Ohio

When he walks around, Jaber says that he’s noticed maybe 10-15 houses in his community that have solar, though he doesn’t personally know anyone who also has an array. The City’s current Mayor has an electric car and solar on his house. He does know a lot of community members who have thought about it.

Jaber believes that there is a lot of inertia in the solar movement: it’s a movement gaining speed.

When asked what he thinks is stopping people from going solar, he says: “People think it’s complicated – for me, it was such an easy thing.” He says that the most challenging thing was filling out the loan application, which Kokosing Solar was there to help him.

He thinks the same is true of electric cars. While people are hesitant now, there is still a movement building. Once people overcome the anxiety see that it’s a technology that works, they’ll be more willing to adopt it.

According to Jaber, if you get out of Ohio and see how much it’s going up in other places- it makes choosing solar power easy.

The Solar Champion

Jaber says– “If you have a customer who is interested and hesitant, give me a call – I would be happy to talk with anyone about it.”

Interested in taking Jaber up on his offer? If so, reach out and we will connect you.

Solar Advocate in Ohio

Posted on February 20, 2020January 26, 2022 by Caitlin Garrity

Ray Stewart is a Solar Advocate in Ohio. Through his efforts, the City of Amherst installed city-operated municipal utility installed bidirectional meters. Ray was the first person in the City of Amherst to go solar!

What’s the story?

Four years ago, Lorain County, Ohio residents got together to organize a bulk purchasing deal for residential solar installations. Resident, Ray Stewart was excited. He was interested in getting a solar array for his home. He attended the community meetings to get up to speed. A core group of individuals evaluated and vetted different solar installers for the bulk purchasing program. This group ultimately chose Third Sun Solar.

Third Sun Solar Consultant, David Zelasko, consulted with Ray through the group buy program. David asked Ray about his motivations for going solar, goals, and available roof space for solar. While going through his routine process to understand the permitting requirements for solar in Amherst, David made a discovery. He discovered that going solar in the City of Amherst wasn’t possible. At that time, the meters on the homes of folks living in the city were not compatible with net-metering. For Ray, this meant that solar wasn’t feasible.

Some History

Because municipal utilities and rural co-ops are not regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, they are not required to offer net metering or allow interconnection for solar.

All the municipal utilities have their unique rules, so it’s essential to have an installer like Third Sun Solar, who has experience with these utilities and takes the time to do their due diligence. The City of Amherst at the time operated a municipal utility that did not offer net metering. Oberlin, Cleveland Public Power, and the City of Westerville are examples of municipalities that own the electric utility, provide net metering, and where Third Sun has installed solar.

Next Steps

Ray lobbied his Mayor and Councilman, who were supportive of residential solar. And no one was surprised by his request. The Mayor responded that it would be necessary to update software and develop the capacity to manage the change.

In 2019 the city utility department swapped all meters in their territory with bidirectional meters, which interact with residential solar systems and allow for net-metering.

Ray was able to install solar in June of 2019 and has been fueling his home on sunshine ever since!

Going Solar

Since the installation, Ray’s electric charges went down and have stayed down. He enjoys looking up at his roof and seeing the solar panels doing their work up there. He occasionally logs into his monitoring app to check on the data. Ray was lucky to have caught the 30% federal tax credit in its final year and is excited to get the tax credit when he files this year. (the federal tax credit stepped down to 26% in 2020 – read more about the federal tax credit for solar here).

Motivation and Legacy

When asked what motivated him to go solar, he says his motivation is to lower his carbon footprint.

Ray is a gardener, a composter, a recycler, and a hybrid vehicle owner. When solar became possible for him, it was a natural choice. Ray’s value’s alight with Third Sun’s: he feels that anything we can each do to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and lower our carbon footprint in the face of climate change is essential.

Ray had his students read Aldo Leapold’s 1949 essay collection A Sand County Almanac as a former science teacher. The essays convey the concept of “land ethic” and the ethical relationship between people and the land where they live.
The signature line in his email reads:

“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

― Aldo Leopold

Community members within the City of Amherst now each have the opportunity to lower their carbon footprint.

You could make a case that through Ray’s efforts, the community in which he lives will be treated with a little more love and respect as the community members can now choose to power their homes and lives with clean, healthy, renewable energy.

Should I Get a New Roof Before I Go Solar?

Posted on January 7, 2020October 27, 2022 by Caitlin Garrity

We hear this question a whole lot: “should I replace my roof before going solar?

It is an important question. Many homeowners are excited to go solar and start shopping without considering the condition of their roof. The fact that you’re thinking about it now is an excellent sign that you’re planning ahead to make your solar installation a success.

We hope we can share some information with you that will help you determine how your roof life will factor into your solar journey.

Types of Roofs

The majority of our customers decide to have solar installed on their roofs. Some choose a ground-mounted array, and others have solar installed on their adjacent garage or carport. For most residential solar installations, a roof provides the optimal conditions for a solar installation.

Asphalt Shing Roofs

Asphalt Shingle Roofs are the most popular roof type in our area. They have warranties or shingle ratings anywhere ranging from 30 TO 60-year warranties.

Metal Roofs

Metal roofs are generally more expensive and have longer guaranteed lifespans than asphalt shingle roofs. This material lasts so long that, typically, the paint fails long before the roof itself. If you have a metal roof that’s in good shape – you can have solar installed on it. Metal roofs are great for solar because we can use clamps to install the solar racking on top of the roof easily.

Clay Tile Roofs

These roofs are beautiful and often designed to last a long time. Third Sun Kokosing Solar does not install solar on tile roofs, or slate roofs, but we have customers with clay tile and slate roofs that opted for a ground-mounted solar array to preserve the roof’s beauty.

Determining Your Roof Life

If you still have the paperwork that came with the roof when it was last replaced, check there. These papers should give you an idea of how much life is left in your roof. But, just like tires on a car – the lifespan on your roof will vary with different conditions. Things like materials, sun, and how well it has been cared for all play into a roof’s lifespan.

We know this information can be challenging to track down. Many of us have not been living in our homes long enough to have had a roof replacement or don’t remember when someone replaced the roof last.

Identifying Common Roof Issues

Another option is surveying the roof, yourself. (Disclaimer: Please be careful!)

Some common types of roof problems are:

Missing shingles – easy to spot and one of the most common roof issues. Missing shingles leave a gap in coverage on your roof.
Water damage – inside your attic is a clear indicator that your roof should be inspected and fixed before installing solar.
Damaged shingles – these, too, are easy to spot. If the shingle is so worn down that it’s become exposed to sunlight, its edges will curl, and the shingle will become discolored. This is a sign that it may be time for a new roof.

Inspection

If you are still unsure that your roof is in good enough shape after checking this paperwork and looking up at your roof, our next suggestion is to schedule an inspection. A roof inspector can do a roof inspection in person, and with some roofs, they can be done remotely. A roof inspector will give you an idea of the types of issues you will want to watch out for. They can also give you an estimate on when the roof might need to be replaced.

In some cases, there may be one area or another that can be spot fixed to ensure the roof’s integrity before a solar installation.

Should I replace my roof before going solar?

This cornerstone question is part of most homeowners’ solar journeys. And it’s a question to consider early on, as it may impact the timeline and cost of your solar project.

Here are some reasons why our customers install a new roof before their solar installation:

Our solar panels are warranted at 25 years. They are a long-term investment for your home – just like a roof.
The electricity savings from solar help offset the cost of the new roof.
Align the Cycles – asphalt shingle roofs and solar panels usually have similar warranty lengths – between 25 and 30 years. While it’s not necessary to do this, and solar panels may even extend the life of your roof as they protect the roof areas that are covered by panels, it does make sense for some homeowners.
While there is the option to deinstall and reinstall your solar system for a roof replacement, the cost of doing so eats into your solar system’s return on investment.
Some of our customers streamline their financing by rolling the roof replacement and solar installation project into one.

Why Roof Life Matters

We know this is a tricky piece of the puzzle. You’ve already decided that you’re going to invest in solar energy at your home. It’s hard to imagine paying even MORE to replace your roof.

We also know you are planning ahead.

Rest assured that if our team notices anything during our initial inspection that makes us think your roof may need to be assessed: we will let you know.

Once you have determined that your roof is in the appropriate shape and will be set to last the same amount of time as your panels – it is time to put the planning into action and sign up for a free solar evaluation for your home!