Radio host ‘Big John’ gets big solar system

Big John is a long-time talk show host, former Voluisa County Council member, community advocate, and newly minted solar homeowner. Big John and his better-half, Sweetie, joined the Volusia County Solar Co-op after he invited Heaven Campbell and Nancy Vaughn, from the League of Women Voters, on his talk show to share information about the co-op. Big John quickly made the decision to go solar with the co-op, seeing it as a wise investment.

Through the co-op, Big John had a 16.9 kW solar system to power his home in May. He is using some of the electricity he’s generating to power an electric car, a Mitsubishi i-MiEV. He also decided to go a step further and install a 16 kWh sonnenBatterie eco 16. Big John relayed that he “didn’t have to do much to get the ball rolling,” because the co-op had organized everything.

The driving factor in his choice to pair a battery system with his solar was resilience. Big John’s house is a beautiful oasis that features a magical koi pond. This koi pond is home to 25 giant koi fish. The pond had been powered by a gas generator during power outages. This set-up was loud and required a long drop cord and maintenance to keep the pond and koi fish healthy. The koi pond is now a priority item for the battery system. In addition, his family and pets are now more resilient in his storm-prone area close to the coast. Pairing solar, storage and an EV expanded Big John’s beautiful oasis into a self-sustained resilient home.