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"To serve and educate the Toledo area community using solar energy in support of equitable sustainable development." 

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GCCS Newsletter Spring 2022

A note from John Kiely, President of Glass City Community Solar's board: 


Hello Randy,


Glass City Community Solar (GCCS) was founded in 2017 as a partnership between the University of Toledo and Vistula Management Company (VMC) to enable low and moderate income families to have easier access to renewable solar energy and its many benefits. After a very successful participation in the Department of Energy’s Solar in Your Community challenge, GCCS has gone on to build and/or maintain a number of solar arrays on low income housing buildings.


GCCS is guiding several low income neighborhood organizations in building solar arrays for clean energy generation and technology education/demonstration purposes. Students from the University have created presentations for low income residents to introduce them to the importance of solar in combating climate change.


GCCS has received strong support and donations from a number of individuals and groups and continues to build on this solid community base toward many more solar arrays for the community. Please spread the word about our work, and encourage friends, family, and colleagues to subscribe to this newsletter and to consider supporting our work!



John Kiely

April Outreach: EcoFest and EarthFest 2022

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In the month of April, members of GCCS participated in both EcoFest Toledo, hosted by the Toledo-Lucas County Sustainability Commission at Handmade Toledo, and EarthFest, hosted on the University of Toledo Centennial Mall. At each event we provided a fun demonstration of solar power, discussed the benefits of community solar, and educated ourselves on how other local community and student groups are progressing the cause of sustainability.


Each event was an opportunity to spread awareness of our organization and our cause, both to the wider Toledo community and to university students. If you signed up for this newsletter at either event, thank you and welcome! Keep reading to learn more about our most recent installation, find out how to contact your representatives about community solar legislation, hear about a generous donation from First Solar, and to hear about why some of our members will be going all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico, this June!

Our Most Recent Project: 629 Locust St.

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If you visited GCCS at EcoFest or EarthFest, you likely already heard from us about our most recent installation at 629 Locust Street in downtown Toledo. Here are the details of the project you may have missed:


  • GCCS assisted in the installation of a 46.6 kW array on a 4-story, 50-unit Section 8 housing building in Downtown Toledo. 
  • Annual electricity savings are projected at around $4,000. Although these subsidized housing tenants do not pay for their energy bills, the building and its occupants are now consuming carbon-free solar electricity in place of grid electricity derived primarily from fossil fuels.
  • This was our first "ground-up" project. GCCS financed the project in an agreement with Chart House Energy a nearby solar development firm in Michigan. After 5 years, GCCS will assume ownership of the array. 


This project is an example of how GCCS aims to finance future projects, generating a sustainable income that will allow for a steadier stream of array installations.

Legislation: House Bill 450 - Community Solar in Ohio

Recently, GCCS met with members of the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) to discuss House Bill 450, a piece of legislation which allows for the development of community solar projects in Ohio. Current regulations do not allow for community solar, or the purchase of energy from a community-owned solar array, in the state of Ohio due to electricity metering restrictions. 


Another great organization, Solar United Neighbors, has created a page that allows you to contact your state representatives and share your thoughts on HB 450 and community solar in Ohio. We encourage you to do that at the link below! 

Contact Your Representative

Donation from First Solar: A truckload of inverters

In March, GCCS members drove over to First Solar's Ohio Test Site to pick up a donation of FIFTY inverters. Inverters take the direct voltage produced by photovoltaic modules and convert it to alternating voltage, the form of voltage used by the electrical grid that you access from any typical household outlet. These inverters can each service from 15-20 photovoltaic modules, and we plan on implementing them in future projects.

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GCCS members Jared and Eulogio, and First Solar technician Paige, with a truckload of donated inverters (many more inverters were taken by van, and some even by car).

Coming Up: Solar 2022 Conference!

In June, four GCCS members will travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the American Solar Energy Society Solar 2022 Conference. This year's theme is "Energy Transition with Economic Justice" and will focus on models and tools for negotiating the challenges to advancing renewables by following justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles. We will be presenting during the session for "Equity in Financing and Investment," right in line with our core mission of providing low-income members of the Toledo community the benefits of solar.

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Thanks for reading, and subscribing! Members of Glass City Community Solar are working every day toward our mission of serving low-income residents of Toledo and Lucas County. As a nonprofit, we operate based on the generosity of donors and volunteers. Please consider making a one time or recurring donation. 


If you know someone who might be interested in our mission, forward this newsletter to them and encourage them to subscribe! Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Please consider subscribing, we'd love for you to be a part of our mission for a greener and more equitable Toledo. 

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Glass City Community Solar


PO Box 4719

Toledo, Ohio 43610-0000


info@glasscitycommunitysolar.com

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