Lorain County residents forming solar co-op to go solar together, get a discount

Neighbors in Lorain County have formed a solar co-op to save money and make going solar easier, while building a network of solar supporters. Oberlin Peoples’ Energy Cooperative and OH SUN are the co-op sponsors. The group is seeking members and will host an information meeting on Wednesday, February 3 at the Oberlin Public Library to educate the community about solar and the co-op process.

Lorain County residents interested in joining the co-op can sign up at the co-op website. Joining the co-op is not a commitment to purchase panels. Once the group is large enough, OH SUN will help the co-op solicit competitive bids from area solar installers.

Co-op members will select a single company to complete all of the installations. They will then have the option to purchase panels individually based on the installer’s group rate. By going solar as a group and choosing a single installer, each participant generally saves up to 20% off the cost of their system.