Coming up next weekend is the annual Ohio Solar Tour. This tour highlights the alternative power options for the State of Ohio.

Here is a message on the Green Energy Ohio website, www.greenenergyohio.org.

“Encompassing sustainable features beyond solar energy, the statewide event features self-guided, guided or open house tours in all corners of the state and highlights a growing list of over 200 sites with solar, wind, biomass, green design and energy-saving technologies and more.”

The tour in the Toledo Toledo/Bowling Green are runs on Saturday, October 6, 2007 from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Below is a summary of the guided tour:

9:00 am – 9:30 am – 2249 Tracy Rd. Northwood, OH
The tour kicks off at Owens Community College with a tour of the Center for Workforce Training, formally call the Center for Development and Training (CDT). The PV system was designed and installed by the participants of
the Great Lakes Renewable Association Apprentice Training
Program in March of 2005. The system consists of two series of strings of (10) 53 Watt Siemens PV modules wired to a SMA
1800U inverter. The rating on the PV array is: Power – 1,060 Watts DC, Voltage – 174 Volts, Current – 6.1 Amps.

9:55 – 10:15 am – 19101 Curtice EW, Curtice, OH
Solterra, Semrock residence
Solterra is an earth-sheltered, passive solar home with six alternate energy sources, including a 2.8 kW solar electric PV system, a wind turbine and a geothermal heating and cooling system. The walls and deck are constructed of ICF forms with insulation values of R50 sidewalls and R80 in roof and ceilings. A Venmar HRS system will cycle clean air in and stale air out. Overhangs block summer heat and let full sun through in winter. A long-term seasonal storage area under the first floor slab stores heat in 220,000 lbs. of gravel. More details can be found on the website www.solterra.info, including actual construction progress.

10:40 am – 10:55 am – 28101 Cedar Park Blvd., Perrysburg, OH
First Solar Manufacturing Plant
First Solar is a leader in the development and manufacture of high quality thin film solar modules. First Solar has invested heavily in developing advanced, thin film semiconductor deposition and high volume manufacturing processes essential to achieve the low cost, high product quality and module efficiency required to make solar energy economically viable across a broad range of applications. Sales have been concentrated to a select group of project developers and system integrators engaged in the development of solar power plants in the U.S. and Europe, specifically Germany. First Solar’s production facility, a 200,000 square foot highly automated manufacturing plant located at Perrysburg near Toledo, Ohio, was initially launched in 2001 and then expanded to increase plant capacity to 25 MW in 2005. First Solar is producing PV module products currently used by electric utilities and commercial, distributed generation power plant projects. On the roof of the Perrysburg plant is a 22 kW grid-tied roof installation and mounted with First Solar’s patented EZ MountTM. The system provides peak shaving of electricity used in the module manufacturing process. On a continuing basis, First Solar monitors the system’s performance as a part of their quality control procedures. The building’s south façade and atrium also incorporates PV modules tied to DC lighting circuits.

11:05 am – 11:20 am – 577 East Front Street, Perrysburg, OH 43551
The 577 Foundation
The 577 Foundation has made a commitment to supporting the utilization of alternative energy. In the last few months they have been under construction while having a solar photovoltaic system installed. It is a 1.02 kW grid-tied photovoltaic system that includes PV modules, an inverter and a tracking rack. The foundation will also be installing a solar thermal water heating system including two 3.5 x 7 collectors, tank, pump and controls. The collectors will be attached to the roof of the pottery barn and will provide heated water for use in the pottery barn’s sinks, the courtyard bathrooms and the conference room.

11:45 am – 1:15 pm – 2600 Dorr St., Toledo, OH 43607
University of Toledo – Clean and alternative energy incubator and PVIC
For more than 20 years, the University of Toledo has been involved with advancing solar cell technology and is internationally recognized as an industry leader. Their research and technology are providing a foundation for a solar energy industrial cluster that includes a number of firms on the solar energy value chain. As a part of their efforts, the University of Toledo has committed to helping researchers and entrepreneurs in altenative energy nurture and grow their businesses at the Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator. The Incubator is also home to the Photovoltaic Innovation and Commercialization Center (PVIC). The PVIC is funded by an $18.6 million Wright Center grant from the state of Ohio and brings together 20 Ohio nonprofits, companies and universities with the goal of stimulating the photovoltaics industry in Ohio, generating new high-technology jobs and increasing revenue for the state.

1:35 pm – 1:50 pm – 4064 Secluded Ravine Ct., Maumee, OH
Collins Residence
The Collins Residence is an energy-efficient home, built by Decker Homes, and features solar energy technology. A 4.3 kW solar electric (photovoltaic (PV)) system integrated into the roof generates power for the home’s electricity needs, producing a net zero-energy usage on an annual basis. Although the home will remain connected to the utility grid, the electric meter runs backward when sending excess electric power to the grid during the daylight hours, while drawing electric power from the grid during the night time hours.

1:50 pm – 2:05 pm – 4029 Secluded Ravine Ct., Maumee, OH
Decker Homes€™ – Solar-Assisted Model Home
Decker Homes built this 2,754 sq. ft. model home with a solar electric photovoltaic (PV) system. It uses SmartRoof solar shingles from Uni-Solar that are similar to typical roofing shingles and do not interfere with the visual aesthetic appearance of the home. This is also an Energy Star home and uses 30 percent less energy than standard homes. Decker Homes, Inc. is the first builder in the Toledo metro area to build a solar-powered home. Using Uni-Solar shingles on the rear, south-side of the home, there is no need for solar panels. For more information, visit www.deckerhomes.com. This exemplifies Building Integerated Photovoltaics (BIPV).

2:25 pm – 2:40 pm – 19511 N. Dixie Highway, Bowling Green, OH
Green By Design
Green by Design is a retail and educational source for commercial and residential customers interested in green building. They offer a variety of energy saving, water conserving products for new construction and remodels. You can visit them online at www.starksinc.com or stop by their showroom.

2:55 pm – 3:10 pm – 15320 Tontogany Rd. (Rt. 6), Bowling Green, OH
Amp Ohio/green Mountain Energy Company Utility-Scale Wind Farm
This “wind farm” contains four 1.8 MW wind turbines that totals 7.2 MW and provides power for nearly 2,000 homes. Each turbine is mounted on a 257-foot tower, has three 132-foot blades, and at its highest point, the turbine is taller than a 30 story building. Partners in the project include the City of Bowling Green, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities, AMP-Ohio, Green Mountain Energy, Wood County Solid Waste Authority and Green Energy Ohio. The City of Bowling Green also installed a solar-powered computerized kiosk that displays performance data on the wind turbines along with educational materials. The kiosk is a touchscreen computer system at the base of the 10 x 10 feet photovoltaic solar array which is installed on a laminated pole 35 feet above the kiosk. The solar array will also power an energy efficient LED street light near the kiosk and both will be connected to the grid. View the wind turbines through an online webcam at www.bgohio.org/electric/webcam.

3:30 pm – 3:45 pm – 17405 Barr Rd., Bowling Green, OH
Scherer Residence
When the Scherers built their Decker home, they insisted on
orienting their Energy Star windows for wanted light, furnishing the home with window blinds that add R4.5, installing ceiling fans, including extra roof insulation and making the western wall of 2×6 studs. They also conserve electric usage through Energy Star appliances and their geothermal system. A recirculating pump conserves water by keeping the water in the longest pipe warm during hours of anticipated use. They installed rain gardens to limit water run-off. Behind the net meter that Bowling Green Municipal Utilities has installed, the Scherers also operate a 1.8 kW Skysteam 3.7 wind turbine.

Here is a list of Open House locations:

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – 9135 West Bancroft, Holland, OH
Compaan Residence
The Compaan home has 4.3 kW of grid-connected photovoltaic
panels. The 96 solar panels (thin-film cadmium telluride) were manufactured in Perrysburg, OH, by First Solar. The DC power from the panels is converted to AC power by two Sunny Boy inverters. The roof has a nearly optimum pitch of 9/12 or 37 degrees from the horizontal and faces 8 degrees west of due south. This rooftop array was designed to provide all the electrical energy needed by the house with enough left over to charge a batteryoperated electric pick-up truck that is used for commuting about 20 miles per day. Typically the panels feed excess power to the grid during the day and use much of that electricity at night when the lights are on and truck batteries are being charged. This system takes advantage of the net metering regulations of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio which requires the utilities to pay small green-power producers the retail price for any electricity delivered to the grid. After about one year of experience, the array is providing all the electricity needs of the home and the electric truck. Details of the system and its performance can be found at http://home.earthlink.net/~alcompaan.

Noon – 6:00 pm – 16454 Yeasting Rd., Elmore, OH
Giesler Residence
The Giesler Residence features a 17.5 kW Jacobs wind turbine that is 120 feet tall with 31-foot diameter blades. It is interconnected into the utility-grid and the Gieslers have a net metering agreement with Toledo Edison, which means they receive a credit on their utility bill for any excess energy generated onsite. Since its installation in November 2005, the wind turbine has produced over 23,000 kWh, which has supplied over 95% of the electricity used at the Giesler Residence. The Gieslers also have a biodiesel processing setup that enables them to produce their own biodiesel from waste fryer oil that they recycle from several local restaurants. Their daily drivers are all biodiesel powered as well as their tractor and lawnmower.

9:00 am – 3:00 pm – 1016 Third St., Sandusky, OH
The House On Third Street
The House on Third Street is an extremely energy efficient and healthy home located in Sandusky. The home was built by Mark Norman and Sue Daugherty as a grassroots response to the escalating cost of energy. The home showcases conservation building design and technology that can dramatically reduce the cost of energy and at the same time significantly improve the health of the home’s environment. The owners built The House to create consumer and political demand for residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural buildings clean tech product. More than 2,400 people have toured the home, including over 30 national, state and local officials.

Be sure to get your Ohio Solar Tour Guide. Send me an email if you would like to carpool or otherwise join me for the tour.