Worthington-based Shine On Solar Solutions will celebrate its one year anniversary next month, but the company was a long time in the making.
For years, its founder and managing director Tom Van Cleef has studied all types of renewable energy, having decided we have passed the peak of oil production yet need more power.
Van Cleef, a serial entrepreneur whose other ventures have included two software companies and a catalog retail business, is the original founder of SolarVision LLC, which he says was the first Ohio company to gain significant solar success.
“I left to start Shine On to provide a full range consulting and development services for all types of renewable energy, with a focus on solar power,” he adds.
Shine On’s mission is multi-pronged and expansive: to install solar power at schools, universities, and government buildings using power purchase agreements that do not require a capital investment; to put solar power on every company warehouse in Columbus, on landfills, and on brownfields; to establish solar car ports at all major companies; and to develop its own stable of energy experts with a passion for distributed generation.
It all starts with high-performance solar energy solutions.
“Shine On offers the most efficient, best warranted panels and inverters and racking systems,” Van Cleef says. “Solar panel efficiency is critical. ‘High performance’ means number of watts a panel can generate. You can spend less and generate half the power.”
Shine On has partnered with law firm Bricker& Eckler, Varo Engineers, and HVAC manufacturer Trane to ensure that “contracts, the design, installation, and legal perform at the highest level,” Van Cleef says.
For a business interested in using solar power, Shine On can inspect its facilities and evaluate renewable energy possibilities. Then, its options are presented and a renewable energy plan is developed.
“As project priorities are set, Shine On can manage the RFP process thru to design and development,” Van Cleef says. “Businesses can also take advantage of specialized incentives and Shine On offers expertise to gain the best benefit for a company.”
Though electricity remains one of our most popular energy sources, the advantages solar energy has over electricity are considerable.
“Solar is silent, does not require the burning of fuel to create electricity, and does not need transportation,” Van Cleef says, adding that demand for solar energy is going to explode as grid parity is approaching and the cost of all energy will go up.
“The demand for electricity for cars and just our lives is going up,” he continues. “That power needs to be generated and I do not see new coal-fired or nuclear plants in Ohio. For business, the greening of image will drive demand for solar car ports and visible solar power.”
To learn more about Shine On Solar Solutions, visit ShineOnSolarSolutions.com.
