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Cincinnati Is Ohio's Top Solar City

This Clifton home recently was fitted with solar panels, something Cincinnati hopes a lot more people do.
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This Clifton home recently was fitted with solar panels, something Cincinnati hopes a lot more people do.

Environment Ohio's Shining Cities report ranks Cincinnati as the leading solar city in the state and places it among the top five solar cities in the Midwest.

"By expanding solar energy, local governments can provide tremendous benefits to our health and our environment here in Ohio and throughout the country," says Nathaniel Ropski, campaign organizer for Environment Ohio.

A house at 416 Resor Avenue in Clifton is the latest solar project. The 7,700 kWh system was installed on a metal roof at a cost of about $14,000.

(GCEA) Director of Operations Rob McCracken says the average-sized energy system producing between 8,000 kWh to 9,000 kWh of electricity a year could save homeowners around $70 dollars a month on their electric bill.

GCEA and the City of Cincinnati are partnering for a third year to sponsor the Solarize Cincy program. McCracken says a number of factors make solar attractive and economical:

  • A 30 percent federal tax credit, which ends in 2019
  • The cost of solar installation, which is down 75 percent in 10 years
  • Using the Solarize Cincy Volume discount, which is about 15 percent
  • Solar panel warranties now exceed 25 years

He says the first step is visiting SolarizeCincy.org, which uses a geo-spatial tool to tell you if your roof is a good fit for solar installation.

According to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) there are 299 commercial and residential systems in Hamilton County that are registered. Property owners don't have to register, so this doesn't include all solar systems.

McCracken says at this link you can see all the registered systems in the state.

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With more than 30 years of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market, Ann Thompson brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting. She has reported for WKRC, WCKY, WHIO-TV, Metro Networks and CBS/ABC Radio. Her work has been recognized by the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2019 and 2011 A-P named her “Best Reporter” for large market radio in Ohio. She has won awards from the Association of Women in Communications and the Alliance for Women in Media. Ann reports regularly on science and technology in Focus on Technology.
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