Pawpaw Festival shows off solar

Solar powered hayrides, home-built electric cars, and solar boats could all be found at the eighteenth annual Papaw festival in Albany, Ohio. Lake Snowden, a Hocking College property, hosted the event. In between learning about North America’s largest fruit and days of music, solar power was on full display.

Upgrade Ohio organized the Energy Village, a mixture of cutting edge technology, efficiency programs and several solar installers. OH SUN was also there promoting the Appalachian Ohio Solar Co-op.

Adjacent to the energy tent festivals goers could talk to electric car owners and even take rides. Upgrade Ohio’s director brought her Nissan Leaf, OH SUN Director Luke Sulfridge brought his Chevrolet Volt, and a resident of Tuppers Plains brought his home-built electric car. Athens Impact Socially Responsible Financial Services even brought their Braham electric motorcycle.

Lake Snowden also hosted the Renewable Energy Regatta where colleges across the Midwest competed with solar powered boats as preparation for the national competition later this year in southwest Ohio.

No fall festival would be complete without a hay ride, but few can boast having an electrified antique tractor doing the pulling. Athena Solar brought its 1940s Alice Chambers. Third Sun Solar powered a cell phone charging station in the beer garden and U-Solar brought its event solar trailer to charge the energy tent. Dovetail Solar and the Appalachian Renewable Energy Consumer Cooperative were also on hand to answer questions about solar technology. The expected crowd of twenty-five thousand left the event seeing how bright the future of solar power is in many forms and applications.