Residents and businesses are invited to attend an informational meeting regarding the implementation of solar power. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 16, at the North Royalton City Hall Community Room, located at 14600 State Road. The meeting will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The meeting is sponsored by the Cuyahoga County Department of Sustainability and the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors. Luke Sulfridge of Solar United Neighbors will give a presentation highlighting the financial, legal and technical aspects of acquiring solar power for homes and businesses.
The Cuyahoga County Department of Sustainability was created in 2014 by Ordinance. Some of the department’s goals include promoting environmentally sustainable business practices in county operations; collaborating with businesses, organization and governments to develop environmentally sustainable methods; promote economic development to support those types of businesses and educate the public on those practices.
Solar United Neighbors, started in 2007 as a neighborhood project in Washington D.C. The first group was formed as the Mt. Pleasant Solar Cooperative, which consisted of 45 neighbors who joined to make solar panels more affordable for their homes. Since that time, they have expanded across the country assisting homeowners, businesses and communities in this endeavor.
Sulfridge will discuss issues, such as the 30% solar tax credit and how the new tariff on solar panels will be dealt with. Participants will be encouraged to join a group buying co-op to purchase solar power, enabling a better price from installers. The Cuyahoga County Solar Co-op consists of county residents and employees from over 30 communities.
Membership in the co-op is free. By joining, members do not have a commitment to purchase solar panels. Co-op members select a single company to complete all of the installations. They then will have an option to purchase the solar panels individually, based on the group rate. For more information, attend the May 16 meeting, or visit the Solar United Neighbors website at www.ohsun.org/cuyahoga.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer