Thomas Edison’s birthplace is now powered by solar

Thomas Edison’s birthplace and museum in Milan, Ohio, is now officially powered by a donated rooftop solar system.

SolarEdge donated the inverter and Power Optimizer solution, Meyer Burger provided the rooftop solar panels, and Unirac donated the racking system. National Renewable Energy Partners provided their expertise and labor to install the rooftop solar system.

The Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum will, of course, now save money on its electric bills, and visitors will learn more about Edison’s interest in optimizing and exploring efficient energy sources.

Thomas Edison recognized solar energy’s potential and expressed his support for it. In a 1931 conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, Edison said, “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”​

Ron Cull, a museum board member, wanted to add rooftop solar to the landmark building to reiterate Edison’s visionary work on the evolution of electricity. Cull said, “By incorporating solar energy into the museum’s framework, we are not only embracing sustainability but also enriching the story of electricity, from its inception to its modern-day applications.”

Read more: We’re closer to tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 than we look – IEA

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