Cooperative Discusses Sunny Side of Solar Power in Wheeling - Wheeling Intelligencer

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Cooperative Discusses Sunny Side of Solar Power in Wheeling

photo by: Joselyn King

Leah Barbor, West Virginia director for Solar United Neighbors, speaks on the merits of solar power during a “Solar Power Happy Hour” Thursday evening at Later Gator in Wheeling.

WHEELING — Some local residents are considering banking on solar energy, and the effort may help them to cut costs and save later for a financial rainy day.

The Solar United Neighbors (SUN) cooperative hosted a “Solar Happy Hour” Thursday night at Later Gator in Wheeling. The goal of the event was to educate the public about the merits of solar energy, and perhaps interest them in joining the Ohio Valley Solar Co-op to obtain solar panels at lesser costs.

Mitchell Haddad of Later Gator told of his own experiences with solar energy.

He had solar panels installed in 2018, and before that his monthly electric bill was about $230 a month. Today it is $14.60 a month, he reported.

Haddad became involved after watching his neighbor in Dimmeydale have panels installed.

“It was one of the best experiences I could have asked for,” he said.

Typically, it takes people who invest in solar panels about eight to 12 years to see a financial benefits, the SUN representatives said. But Haddad took out a shorter loan paying higher monthly payments and paid his loan off in 36 months.

“It was like paying a very expensive electric bill for three years,” he said.

Leah Barbor, West Virginia director for Solar United Neighbors, told those present that 14 people already had joined the current cooperative. More can join before the deadline on Oct. 31.

Those interested locally should register at SolarUnitedNeighbors.org/Ohio Valley, or email Barbor at LBarbor@solarunitedneighbors.org.

The cooperative is open to those living in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, as well residents of Southeastern Ohio, and Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Private individuals may join, as can businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Barbor said it is free to join the solar cooperative, and members receive information about solar power economics and technology. Eventually, the point of the co-op is to leverage group purchase buying power, she explained.

The members then decide upon a solar panel company “based upon their collective values,” she continued.

The Ohio Valley cooperative already is basing their decisions on pricing and buying American made products, according to Barbor.

The group is looking to purchase their panels from Yellowlite Solar of Cleveland, who has already worked with “four or five” solar cooperatives in Ohio, she said.

Barbor added the contractor selected by the cooperative contacts each member individually to provide them a customized proposal for solar panels.