Brian the Ohio Solar Guy

08/31/2026

Be Lakewood Ohio.

Have multiple power outages.

Call in the state.

PUCO finds out FirstEnergy knew about failing electrical infrastructure and didn't do anything.

FirstEnergy gets hit with $3M fine.

$3M fine goes to Lakewood.

Oh wait.

It doesn't?

08/13/2026

"PUCO’s inspection found infrastructure in the Lakewood area that was significantly older than the rest of the utility’s territory. Multiple Lakewood circuits had already landed on the annual list of worst performers. The utility knew."

And yet, instead of fixing the infrastructure FirstEnergy resorted to cooling off overheating equipment with (wait for it)...

Garden Sprinklers.

(I can't even make this stuff up guys 😆)

08/12/2026

I couldn't resist making this one...

08/11/2026

Bad news: We have an electric bill this month 😭

Good news: It's only $8 😀

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Without solar, our electric bill would've been $225.

But thanks to our solar panels, we not only saved $187 on this recent bill, but we were also able to use a -$30 credit we had from our solar panels making more energy than our home used last month, bringing the total down to $8.

I love our solar panels ☀

08/07/2026

Happy Friday!

Here's another silly solar skit. Enjoy!

08/06/2026

Electric bills in Ohio are up over 60% in the last decade.

To put that in perspective, a $100 electric bill in 2015 is easily now $162.

And it's only getting worse--AI, electrification, and what's going on in Iran are only going to continue to jack up everybody's electric costs.

The way we get our energy is in dire need of reform. We need to build the energy grid of the future.

And solar is going to be a big part of that.

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What do you think is most to blame for electric costs rising? (Article link in the comments)

08/05/2026

Not enough people are talking about this: FirstEnergy is rolling out smart electric meters, which means we are one step closer to Time of Use electric rates in Ohio.

Check out the video I made that breaks down what this means (1 min watch)

07/29/2026

"We have seen time and time again that these outages have real consequences. Families have lost refrigerated groceries and medications. Seniors and individuals who rely on electrically powered medical devices are faced with unnecessary risks, and in some cases, hospitalization. High-rise residents are stranded in buildings with no working elevators. Small businesses lose revenue, and workers lose valuable income. The concept of being able to rely on energy providers is not a luxury; it is an essential service that residents pay for and deserve."

Great opinion piece in the Plain Dealer on the recent Lakewood power outages.

I keep saying that these outages are not only an inconvenience--they're also a safety issue.

People need power. And FirstEnergy's continuing to drop the ball is putting innocent people in danger.

They need to be held accountable.

07/27/2026

I had a great time catching up with my friends at the Cuyahoga Land Bank to celebrate the progress at the Circle East District!

The first 7 homes are completed, and we are proud to have YellowLite solar panels on all of them.

Check out the progress so far:

07/02/2026

You would not BELIEVE who just joined the install crew!

BREAKING: LEBRON BACK IN CLEVELAND

LeBron James has reportedly returned to Cleveland…to install solar panels for YellowLite!