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The rooftop solar panels, equivalent to a 1.5 football field, provide 48% of the center’s electricity.
Mason, Ohio – July 11, 2025 – Fest, a global leader in industrial automation management and systems and industrial training systems, has launched its largest rooftop solar system in Mason, Ohio today. Festo North American Regional Service Center, along I-71, generates 48% of its on-site annual electricity needs through solar power generation.
The rooftop installation includes 3,929 solar panels covering the 85,180 square feet of rooftop. Its annual production capacity is rated at 2.602 GWH, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumed by 393 homes. The installation of this solar power generation will reduce annual CO2 emissions, which amounts to carbon sequestration in 2,300 acres of forests.
Installations on solar arrays began in November 2024 and ended in May. Kokosing Solar Power in Athens, Ohio was the general contractor for the project. Solar panels are installed on two of the three connected buildings on the rooftop and on the entrance carport. The eight solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations are a feature of the project.
Built in 2015 and expanded several times since then, Festo Regional Service Center is Festo’s North American distribution hub for globally manufactured automated products. Employing 350 people, the facility builds custom orders and builds unique products for North American customers. Festo Didactic, Festo Learning Department, is building a practical system that community colleges use to train the next generation of manufacturing and processing technicians.
“The solar project at the Festo Regional Service Center is not just about saving energy. It is a model of resilience and positive thinking that reflects the city’s economic and environmental goals,” commented Mayor Diana Nelson of Mason. “It is consistent with Mason’s initiative to help local businesses invest in sustainable growth.”
Headquartered in Esslingen, Germany, Fest is a family-owned, $3.9 billion business that employs more than 20,000 people in 60 countries. Fest celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and is proud to have been operating in the US for over 50 years. Members of the founding Stoll family joined local and state officials to perform ribbon cutting and tours of the centre. The Solar Power Initiative was funded in part by grants from the Stall Family.
Sustainability is firmly fixed in Festo’s corporate strategy. In 2024, the company participated in the World Resources Institute Science-Based Target Initiative (SBTI), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. Additionally, in 2024, Festo Global Operations offset 100% of its direct carbon emissions and achieved CO2 neutrality due to indirect emissions. Fest plans to generate 25% of its electricity through solar by 2030.
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