Kastle this weekend opened the doors on that project, an array of 528 solar panels on the roof of the 4501 Kettering Blvd. building it shares with the Dayton Daily News’ distribution operation. With the array, the 35,500-square-foot distribution site will save more than 209,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year, Kastle estimates.
At 119 kilowatts, it’s the largest rooftop solar array in Southwestern Ohio and one of the largest in the state, Wiley and others believe. And with the help of government tax credits — as well as education of prospective customers — they think the array may be one of many across Ohio before long.
“We do see this as a business model, something that’s repeatable,” Wiley said.
Bill Spratley, executive director of renewable energy advocate Green Energy Ohio, sees strong growth ahead, thanks in part to Ohio Senate Bill 221, a bill passed two years ago which requires investor-owned Ohio utilities to produce 25 percent of their power from advanced or renewable energy sources by 2025.
With First Solar, the world’s largest manufacturer of thin film solar modules, based in Toledo, as well as research universities and a strong manufacturing supply chain, Ohio can be a key part of solar’s future, he believes.
This is about “insourcing. We are the part of the country that can drive this business,” Spratley said.
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