NEW MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — The rising cost of electricity is leading to increased demand for solar energy systems to power homes, businesses and farms. Ace Solar, based in New Middletown, Ohio, has grown to meet that increased demand.
“People are calling us and wanting this technology,” explained Erin Quinlan, who operates the company with her husband, Dan.
“People are scrambling for a way so they can get that monthly expense down.”
Future
People see a benefit in investing in their own solar energy systems because they can take care of their energy costs far into the future. Instead of worrying about how high prices for electricity might go, they have essentially prepaid for electricity at a discount with their solar energy systems, Quinlan said.
“You’re purchasing your power now for the next 30 years and more.”
Some customers want to set up their farms or businesses with more predictable energy input costs. “There’s not that variable factor,” Quinlan explained.
Reducing bills
Homeowners are also looking to minimize their future energy bills, she added. Retiring people, for instance, are investing in systems so they can better budget their power expenses to match their fixed income in retirement.
History
Energy efficiency Ace Solar got its start in 2006, when Dan Quinlan established Valley Energy Solutions. At that time, he was working to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
As time went on, more of his work centered on adding solar power to homes and his expertise in designing and installing solar energy systems grew. Erin joined her husband in the business in 2013, helping with administrative work.
One of the Quinlans’ customers, Rick Carano, was responsible for the Quinlan’s partnership with Ace Hardware in New Middletown. He was an enthusiastic proponent of solar energy and had solar energy systems installed on the roof of his hardware store and pharmacy in New Middletown.
Carano’s next step was to partner with the Quinlans to expand their solar energy installation business as well as offer service for solar electric and energy storage systems. Carano passed away in 2021, before they could complete their plans, but his children have continued his efforts to care for the environment by promoting solar energy, said Quinlan.
“His children have now taken the torch and want to see his legacy live on.”
Valley Energy Solutions became known as Ace Solar and continues to serve customers through New Middletown’s Ace Hardware. They work primarily within a ninety-minute radius of New Middletown, which includes the Cleveland and Akron areas and extends into western Pennsylvania.
The staff of Ace Solar has grown to eight people to handle the increasing demand. To design a system for a specific farm, business or home, Ace Solar begins by assessing a customer’s utility bills to determine energy needs and costs. Then they design a system to fit the site and customer preferences.
Rooftop systems are popular, but they don’t fit all situations, Quinlan pointed out.
For instance, solar panels should not be installed over an old roof and some roofs aren’t oriented for the most efficient operation of solar panels. For ground-mounted systems, the installation includes landscaping the ground beneath the panels.
Grant funding
Currently, about 70% of Ace Solar’s business is residential, but they’re seeing the most growth in the installation of systems on farms to help power farming operations.
“Primarily, it’s because of a lot of the grants that the USDA has to help promote the technology,” noted Quinlan.
Through the Rural Energy for America Program, the USDA is offering loan financing and grants to help cover the cost of renewable energy systems for farms and rural small businesses. Tax credits can also help cover the cost of a system. Ace Solar is familiar with the government grant programs, so they can write grant applications for customers, Quinlan said.
Customers don’t have to commit to installing a system if a grant isn’t awarded.
Evan Schaefer, who farms with his brother, Luke, in Mahoning County, worked with Ace Solar to install a 17.28-kilowatt system on their farm last winter. It’s mounted on the roof of a pole barn and the electricity generated will help offset the cost of power for their shop and grain system, he said.
Ace Solar helped the Schaefers scale a system to meet their needs without excess capacity. They are using net metering so the power they generate is fed into the grid and Ohio Edison pays them for any extra energy they produce. However, the rate they receive is considerably lower than what they have to pay for power, he pointed out.
“You want to scale it so there’s not much overproduction,” he advised. Ace Solar also helped the Schaefers access grant funding for their project. That made it worthwhile to have Ace Solar install the system rather than trying to complete the project on their own, Schaefer said.
Details
Ace Solar is headquartered inside the Ace Hardware at 10395 Main St., New Middletown, Ohio, and can be reached by phone at 330-542-2802. More information is also available online at acesolarpro.com.
