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Residents may be looking to save money in the long run, especially during the financially uncertain time the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on.

Cuyahoga County residents are continuing to form solar co-ops to save money and make going solar easier. Through a partnership with Solar United Neighbors, co-ops are being organized to educate the community about the benefits of solar.

The County is actively seeking participants and is hosting online informational meetings where residents can learn more and join the co-op.

Solar United Neighbors has:

• Worked with 23 solar co-ops
• Helped roughly 350 Ohio homes go solar
• Saved Ohio residents more than $3 million on electricity costs over a 25-year span

The over 130 County households that have gone solar through the co-op in past rounds saved about 20 percent on the total cost of their installations, which amounts to over half a megawatt of rooftop solar in the county alone.

“Climate change means we have to ramp up quickly the amount of renewable power we have generating electricity to our homes and businesses,” said Mike Foley, Director of Sustainability. “Our solar co-ops are great opportunities for lots of individuals to lessen their electric load from the traditional grid and save money over the long term.”

How does the co-op work?

Co-op participants will select a single company to complete the installations. They will then have the option to purchase panels individually based on the installer’s group rate. By going solar as a group and choosing a single installer, participants can save on the cost of going solar and have the support of fellow group participants and solar experts at Solar United Neighbors.

Along with rooftop solar, co-op members can also purchase battery backup systems through the co-op, adding to the resiliency of their homes while reducing their energy costs and giving them peace of mind that the lights will always be on.

Interested in seeing what it’s all about? Residents interested in joining the co-op or just learning more can sign up at www.solarunitedneighbors.org/cuyahoga. The solar co-op is free to join and joining is not a commitment to purchase panels. Residents from any community can attend an online session that works best for them. Once the group is large enough, Solar United Neighbors will help the co-op solicit competitive bids from area solar installers.

Below are the upcoming online information sessions:

• Thursday, July 23, 6:00 p.m.: Solar Info Session (Online)
• Saturday, August 15, 3:00 p.m.: Solar Info Session (Online)
• Thursday, August 27, 6:00 p.m.: Solar Info Session