Solar veteran pitches in to help others go solar

By Ben Delman on July 10, 2016

Delaware County resident David Carpenter has had solar in some form on his home for more than a decade and a half. At the turn of the century, he purchased one 100-watt solar panel and had it installed on his shed. He did so as a trial run to see how his local utility would credit him for the electricity it produced.

Pleased with his experiment, the now-retired high school science teacher had a 4.83 kilowatt system installed on his home in 2006. “I could have forgotten about it completely if I weren’t interested in it. The system has been totally maintenance free,” Carpenter said.

But he was, and is, interested in solar. Over time, he became a bit of an evangelist for the technology. Drawing on his background as a science educator, Carpenter has made numerous presentations about solar technology. It was through this that he connected with Green Energy Ohio, and in turn, OH SUN.

Although he already has solar on his home, Carpenter has become an active participant in the group, recruiting members and promoting the co-op at community events. Carpenter is excited by the co-op’s potential to grow solar in the county. “There are a lot of people who’ve thought about going solar, the key thing is making sure they know about the co-op.”