About Our Passion for Solar Energy

About

What We Do

About-Us2

Our mission is to encourage, develop and facilitate the use of solar and other forms of renewable energy.

  • Within the US this is being achieved through education, installation and financing of renewable energy generation within the Mid-Ohio Valley.
  • In Africa we achieve this through designing, installing and servicing solar PV systems, primarily in Liberia.

Through mission-related programs we have been designing off-grid power systems in Haiti, Uganda and Liberia since 2000. Pickering Energy Solutions, which was established in 2012, gives us a formal business platform from which to design, install and service solar PV systems.

In the US:

  • We design and install solar PV systems for residential and commercial customers.
  • We install, own and operate solar PV systems and sell the power through Power Purchase Agreements or Solar Leasing arrangements.

In Africa (primarily Liberia):

  • We design, install and support solar PV systems for humanitarian-related programs and NGOs.

We all use electrical energy in a variety of ways in our life without thinking about the source or environmental cost of this energy. In our region of the US most of our power is produced through the burning of fossil fuels, primarily coal, in power plants. The combustion of fossil fuels for energy production is attributed to global warming and a host of other environmental and social problems. Thus our energy use creates pollution and environmental degradation–however it is not always noticeable to us because it is not in our backyard.

Renewable energy technologies have matured to the point where they can reasonably be incorporated into our lives with little impact on us while allowing us to live in a more environmentally friendly manner. Solar photovoltaic panels, which can be easily incorporated into a variety of building environments, often without visual impact, will produce over 6 times the amount of energy that it takes to make the panel over its 25 year lifecycle. Aside from having a significant impact on the environment (by avoiding the combustion of fossil fuels), with proper governmental incentives they are also a good financial investment.

Making Renewable Energy Affordable

About-Us-PESUnfortunately, even though individuals and businesses may be interested in renewable energy, they cannot afford the up-front cost associated with renewable energy sources. 

Thus the creation of Pickering Energy Solutions–we bring individuals and organizations that would like to incorporate renewable energy into their lives together with investors that are looking to invest in renewable energy technologies.

We are able to do a needs assessment, identify opportunities and costs for the introduction of renewable energy systems to homes and businesses, and provide proposals for renewable energy systems. If the individual or business is unable to finance the installation, then we may be able to bring investors together to purchase and install the system. The individual or business would then pay PES for the value of the power produced by the renewable sources using the avoided costs from the power company.

Programs such as this are called Power Purchase Agreements, and allow the individual to lock into fixed rates for their energy, thus providing savings over time. At some time in the future, when appropriate, the building owner or organization may elect to purchase the renewable energy system at a discounted price based upon the future energy production capacity of the system.

Whether you are a homeowner, building owner, or organization, if you are interested in using a more environmentally friendly energy source for your energy use, then we have a solution for you. With more than 135 kW of installed photovoltaic capacity in the Valley, we are able to provide you with turn-key installations, handling all of the details.

Thank you for visiting our website, and we look forward to the possibility of working with you in the future.

Leading The Way

  • Charles L. (Chip) Pickering, Ph D PE

  • Founder

Chip started Pickering Energy Solutions, a WV company which installs, owns and maintains solar photovoltaic power systems within the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Chip is the CEO of Pickering Associates, an Architectural and Engineering Firm located in Parkersburg, WV. Chip is also the Vice President of Davis, Pickering & Co., an electrical contracting firm located in Marietta, OH. Chip is responsible for development, training and Construction Quality programs for Davis Pickering.

Chip is a Professional Engineer, Project Management Professional and holds a LEED Certification for Building Design & Construction. Additionally, he is a Certified Photovoltaic Installer through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

Chip’s commitment to solar energy goes beyond the boundaries of the US as he has worked on several projects in both Haiti and Africa. To learn more about those projects, click here.

To visit Chip’s website, go to www.cpickering.us

  • Lance McCoy

  • Director of Communications

Lance partnered with Pickering Energy Solutions in 2012 as the company launched into the solar energy market providing education and awareness to residential and small commercial customers throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley.  In his role as Director of Communications, he enhances communication with customers and ensures that the Pickering Energy brand and reputation reflect the true nature of the company.

In the community, he supported the formation of the first solar energy club in W.V. at Parkersburg High School.  Founded in Sept 2013, the club is focused on building a solar PV system on campus.  Also, since October 2012 Lance has served as a member of the Community Advisory Board for the WVU- P, Solar Technology Program.

A green entrepreneur and renewable energy enthusiast, Lance holds a Residential Photovoltaic Site Assessor Certificate (#211) from the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.  Lance is helping PES build a portfolio of off-grid, grid-tied and bimodal solar photovoltaic energy systems.