Solar power in Ohio

Solar power in Ohio has been increasing, as the cost of photovoltaics has decreased. Ohio installed 10 MW of solar in 2015. Ohio adopted a net metering rule which allows any customer generating up to 25 kW to use net metering, with the kilowatt hour surplus rolled over each month, and paid by the utility once a year at the generation rate upon request. For hospitals there is no limit on size, but two meters are required, one for generation, the other for utility supplied power. As of March 2026, Ohio's installed solar passed 6,330 MW, marking a significant surge in solar capacity. Solar now produces 5.75% of the state's overall power generation.

In 2010, the 12 MW solar farm in Upper Sandusky was the largest solar farm in the state.Ohio's Largest Solar Farm Goes Online It was surpassed by the 20MW DG AMP Solar Bowling Green farm, which was completed in January 2017.Table 6.3. New Utility Scale Generating Units by Operating Company, Plant, and Month, 2017, Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, March 24, 2017 In December 2024, Fox Squirrel Solar came online in Madison County, generating 577 MWs and becoming the largest solar operation in the state. In 2025, construction began on Oak Run Solar Farm. This project will deliver up to 800 MWs in the coming years. It will also feature a 300 MW battery energy storage facility in Madison County. The Oak Run Solar project plans to implement an agrivoltaic program for grazing and crops. This will be the nation's largest and first of its kind utility scale solar energy plan for livestock and animal grazing. The Oak Run Solar Project will occupy approximately 4,400 acres.

The First Solar factory in Perrysburg can produce almost 600 MW of panels per year.

Costs have decreased to the point that the average consumer may save approximately $17,527 over a 20-year period by installing solar panels. Euclid's City Hall and library installed solar panels which are expected to save $25,000 over the next 15 years. The panels were installed at no cost to the city by Ohio Cooperative Solar, which is leasing the rooftops.

Solar projects

Overall capacity of Ohio's utility-scale solar projects was estimated at 100 MW in December 2020, with an additional 400 MW projected to come online within the next year.

Toledo area In 2009, ground broke on what was then one of the largest solar fields in the United States, located in Wyandot County, near Upper Sandusky. The 12-MW plant, finished in September 2010,"Wyandot County solar project finishes early", Juwi Solar. Accessed January 4, 2011 was constructed by Germany-based Juwi Solar, and is called Wyandot Solar LLC., leasing its energy to AEP."German company to build area's largest solar field in Wyandot County", Retrieved 19 Nov 2009."Solar Coming to Wyandot County", CMPND, Retrieved 19 Nov 2009.

A 1.1 MW solar field was constructed by Advanced Distributed Generation on the University of Toledo campus."Solar Field Nears Completion", Toledo Free Press. Retrieved 27 Nov 2009.Facilities and Construction: Renewable Energy , University of Toledo, accessed May 29, 2016

The airbase for 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard in Toledo has a 1.2 MW solar installation."Ohio Air National Guard expands solar energy field", Toledo Free Press, Retrieved 9 Jan 2010.Air Guard base adds to solar field, The Toledo Blade, Tom Henry, 1/6/2010

In 2010, the Ohio Department of Transportation announced that Xunlight and First Solar would provide 100 kW of panels for a $1.5 million research project at the Veterans' Glass City Skyway in Toledo."Skyway to Become Ohio's First "Solar Highway", 104.7 WIOT. Retrieved 16 Apr 2010."Skyway going solar on $1.5M U.S. grant", Toledo Blade. Retrieved 16 Apr 2010.

Dayton In 2009, University of Dayton graduate Zachary Layman's company Solar Roadways received a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop his solar road prototype, which embeds solar panels into driving surfaces."Idaho Man Builds 12 Foot Solar Road", Green Living Ideas. 17 Feb 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010. It won General Electric's Ecomagination Challenge Award in 2010.

Another of the state's largest solar arrays was constructed by The Dayton Power and Light Company in Dayton."DP&L Officially Opens Largest Solar Power Facility in Southwestern Ohio", Market Watch. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2010. The solar field generates 1.1 Megawatts of power." Largest Solar Power Facility in Southwestern Ohio", Retrieved 17 Dec 2009. The facility will consist of 9,000 solar panels constructed over , and will generate enough electricity to power nearly 150 homes.

Columbus area Central Ohio has seen a surge in the number of solar projects in recent years. The largest project approved and currently under construction is Oak Run Solar. Located in Madison County, this project will generate up to 800 MW of power. This is the largest solar project ever approved in the state's history. Currently, the largest operating solar project in the state is Fox Squirrel Run, which generates 577 MW of power.

Elsewhere In September 2009, Third Sun Solar, in collaboration with the Akron Metro Regional Transit Authority and Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group, installed the largest rooftop solar array in the state, comprising 2,076 solar modules producing 488 kW.

Cincinnati Zoo and Melink Corporation announced the opening of a new 1.56 MW solar canopy in 2011. The 6,400 solar panels, located in the zoo's Vine Street parking lot, provide 20% of the zoo's power needs.

In 2012, Campbell Soup Company built a 9.8 MW solar plant to provide energy for its operations in Napoleon.Campbell Dedicates 9.8-Megawatt Solar Power System, SunPower Corp., June 21, 2012

Renewable portfolio standard HB6, which passed the state legislature in July 2019, phases out Ohio's renewable portfolio standard completely. A referendum petition has been started to overturn HB6. Ohio had a renewable portfolio standard which calls for 0.06% from solar by 2012, 0.09% by 2013, and 0.5% from solar and 12.5% from renewable sources by 2026. However, the standard was frozen in government in 2014 and no further increases were required.U.S. solar power demand intensifies, Toledo Blade, Jon Chavez, May 29, 2016 Ohio used 154,145 million kWh in 2010.Ohio Electricity Generation Approximately 75 MW is required to generate 0.5% of the state's demand. Covering rooftops with solar panels in Ohio (46,800 MW) would generate 35.3% of demand.

Statistics Source: NREL

Ohio grid-connected PV capacity (MW) Cite web|https://www.seia.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/Ohio.pdf|title=Solar Spotlight|publisher=SEIA|YearCapacityInstalled% Change 2008 1.4 0.4 40% 2009 2.0 0.6 43% 2010 20.7 18.7 935% 2011 31.6 10.9 53% 2012 79.9 48.3 153% 2013 98.4 18.5 23% 2014 102 3 4% 2015 113 10 11% 2016 125 12 11% 2017 165 40 32% 2018 202.4 37.4 23% 2019 264.5 62.1 31% 2020 503.3 238.8 90% 2021 836.6 333.3 66.2% 2022 927 90.4 10.8% 2023 2821.9 1254.7 135.3%

+ Utility-scale solar generation in Ohio (GWh) Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2010 13 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 2011 16 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2012 37 1 1 2 3 4 5 4 4 4 4 3 2 2013 47 2 2 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 5 4 4 2014 53 2 2 4 4 5 6 6 6 6 5 4 3 2015 57 3 3 5 6 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 3 2016 64 2 5 4 5 6 6 7 7 7 6 5 4 2017 107 3 7 8 9 12 13 13 12 12 7 6 5 2018 120 5 4 12 14 14 14 15 13 12 9 4 4 2019 142 5 8 12 12 13 14 20 19 14 12 7 6 2020 164 5 9 10 14 17 23 22 21 17 11 10 5 2021 656 9 24 47 49 56 53 95 96 86 57 51 33 2022 858 43 53 74 82 104 125 109 103 88 78 47 30 2023 1315 30 54 71 86 106 148 175 166 179 116 114 70 2024 4027 87 244 247 318 382 477 537 486 424 419 217 189 2025 7885 341 357 637 730 788 897 952 1038 874 674 355 242 2026 3762 389 589 739 970 1075

Solar power in Ohio

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