Positive energy

Mote Marine Laboratory helped kick off the second solar cooperative in Sarasota May 23.

By Katie Johns
| 8:20 a.m. June 6, 2018

Mote Marine Laboratory assistant vice president Evan Barniskis , Sarasota League of Women Voters president Carol Hartz and city of Sarasota vice-mayor Jennifer Ahearn-Koch at the May 23 kickoff. Photo courtesy of Jan Pearce.

Longboat Key
Neighbors

On May 23, Mote Marine Laboratory hosted the kick off to the second solar cooperative in the Sarasota area.

The first solar co-op, which opened last year in Sarasota County, has 60 homeowner members whose solar panels have generated 651 kilowatts of electricity. Mote itself has a solar array on the roof of its mammal building, Jan Pearce of the League of Women Voters in Sarasota County, one of the sponsors for the co-op initiative, wrote in an email.

The co-ops exist to help groups of homeowners interested in purchasing solar panels to leverage their bulk purchasing power while learning about the benefits of distributed solar energy, a statement from Mote said.