Automation controls company Festo has completed a solar project at its distribution center in Mason, Ohio. The Festo North American Regional Service Center will now generate through solar power 48% of its annual electric power needs onsite.
The estimated 1.4-MW system features 3,929 solar panels covering 85,180 ft2 of rooftop. It’s annual generating capacity is rated at 2,602 MWh. Installation on the solar power array began in November 2024 and concluded in May. Kokosing Solar was the project’s general contractor. The solar panels are installed on the rooftops of two of the three connected buildings and on the entryway’s carport. Eight solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations are a feature of the project.
Built in 2015 and expanded several times since, the Festo Regional Service Center is the North American distribution hub for Festo’s globally manufactured automation products. The facility, which employs 350 people, also assembles custom orders and builds unique products for North American customers. Festo Didactic, the learning division of Festo, builds hands-on systems that community colleges utilize to train the next generation of manufacturing and processing technicians.
“The Festo Regional Service Center’s solar project does more than save energy – it is a model of resilience and forward thinking that reflects this city’s economic and environmental goals,” commented Mason’s Mayor Diana Nelson. “It aligns with Mason initiatives that help local businesses invest in sustainable growth.”
News item from Festo