American Solar Energy Society tour returns to Northeast Ohio By Chad Felton | The News-Herald
The American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour is once again rolling through Northeast Ohio, with visits to multiple locations from Oct. 2-4. Now in its 33rd year, the tour will feature various host sites in western Lake County, western Geauga County and eastern Cuyahoga County, noted coordinator Tom Rapini.
“There will be new sites on the guided bus tours and the message is, even post-subsidy, solar still makes long-term economic sense,” he said. “System costs continue to drop, and the payback period for residential solar is now in the eight- to 12-year range, meaning, typically, 10 or more years of free electricity once the install is paid for.”
On Oct. 2, the West Guided Bus Tour will depart from the Wickliffe Senior Center at 9 a.m. and return around 3 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to view and learn about electric vehicles, solar applications for homes and businesses, as well as battery backup and wind power systems.
On Oct. 3, the East Guided Bus Tour will depart from the Mentor Senior Center at 9 a.m. and return around 2 p.m., visiting seven renewable energy sites in the city.
Both tours are free and will include a complimentary lunch.
EV Rally at Laketran Transit Center
Additionally, on Oct. 3, the tour will stop at the Electric Vehicle Rally, which is part of the Ohio “Wish You Were Here” Tour. The event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Laketran Frank J. Polivka Transit Center at Lakeland Community College, 7700 Clocktower Drive in Kirtland.
Private owners and local auto dealers will showcase and discuss their electric vehicle models, and 
officials from Laketran will highlight one of the buses from the agency’s fleet of 10 electric buses.
Two Flo EV charging stations are also located at the site for open use.
Throughout the weekend, open houses will be held across the state and the country to celebrate the tour and educate visitors about the costs, benefits, installation and operation of renewable energy, Rapini noted.
“Almost everyone has faced increasing electric rates, and there’s a good chance it will get worse,” he said. “First, thanks to the lobbying power of the oil industry, nearly one-third of our state’s counties have banned commercial-scale solar and wind generation — combine that with huge expected demands for electricity due to data centers and you have a recipe for disaster.
“We are hoping to get the attention of people who want to be ahead of the curve and prepare in advance for a future of high rates and power shortages,” Rapini added. “This is an opportunity to learn about those, including many seniors, who have taken advantage of the surprisingly low solar panel prices to achieve energy independence.”
For more tour information and site descriptions, visit www.nationalsolartour.org.