The Chamber developed the Northwest Ohio Solar Initiative to accelerate the growth of the solar industry in the Toledo Region. The initiative is guided by an advisory council consisting of representatives from solar manufacturing companies and professional resource providers that support the industry.
A business-driven effort, the Northwest Ohio Solar Initiative plans to promote the growth and influence of the solar industry as well as to grow the job market in the region by:
- Positioning/branding NW Ohio as the center of Photovoltaics in Ohio and the Midwest
- Growing and solidifying the region’s influence within state politics in a proactive way
- Improving and strengthening communications among solar-related companies in the region
- Increasing business linkages/collaboration among solar companies and leveraging strengths
- Sharing pertinent information on the solar industry (White Papers, Government Grants)
- Identifying policy gaps at state government and playing an advocacy role within the state
- Tracking state-wide policies impacting the growth of the solar industry in Ohio
- Increasing the pace of solar business development
- Shaping solar policies within the state
- Organizing regional and state solar symposiums and business-related solar events
The Toledo Region - A Leader in Ohio's Solar Industry
Without question, the solar industry will be a key component of economic development as our region leads the new manufacturing economy. Consider the following:
The Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) has identified 150 Ohio companies engaged in the solar industry as original equipment manufacturers, suppliers, or installers/developers. Additionally, the ODOD reports that Ohio's solar industry is supported by 11 dedicated research establishments in addition to the research performed at the institutions of higher education in the state.
Of the 150 companies statewide, nearly a third are located in Northwest Ohio. These 45 companies employ the estimated 6,000 people in our region working in jobs that directly contribute to to the solar industry.
The Solar Energy Industries Association projects that solar industry related jobs in Ohio will grow to 32,438 solar workers in Ohio within the next four years.
The value of new solar installations in Ohio during the past year was placed at over $115 million
Got Solar?
The Chamber made solar the focus of its 2012 Annual Meeting, announcing the formation of the Northwest Ohio Solar Initiative during the event.
Keynote speaker for the meeting was Dave Heidenreich, author of Exponential Solar. Mr. Heidenreich shared his vision of solar's emergence as a dominant energy source over the next fifty years and the dramatic changes in the industry that it will take to get there.
Craig Winn of Applied Technology Integration and Greg Knudson of Nextronex Energy Systems LLC then presented an overview of the local solar industry, the companies that are driving the Toledo Region’s prominence in the worldwide solar market and solar’s potential as a regional economic driver. To give a sense of the scope of the local solar industry, our speakers introduced the Solar Supply Chain Continuum which illustrated how local companies are involved in the development and implementation of solar at every stage.
The Solar Supply Chain Continuum
Download the Solar Supply Chain Continuum here
For more information on the Northwest Ohio Solar Initiative:
To learn more, please contact Wendy Gramza, Executive Vice President at wendy.gramza@toledochamber.com or at 419-243-8191 ext. 246.