Festo, a global leader in industrial automation and technical education, has completed the installation of a large rooftop solar power system at its North American Regional Service Center in Mason, Ohio. The system is now the largest of its kind in the city and will generate 48 percent of the facility’s annual electricity needs onsite.

The solar installation includes 3,929 panels covering 85,180 square feet across two of the facility’s three rooftops and the entryway carport. With an annual capacity of 2.602 gigawatt-hours, the system generates enough electricity to power approximately 393 homes per year. It also offsets carbon emissions equivalent to the annual sequestration capacity of a 2,300-acre forest.

Construction began in November 2024 and was completed in May 2025. Kokosing Solar Power, based in Athens, Ohio, served as the general contractor. The project also includes eight solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations for employees and visitors.

Opened in 2015 and expanded several times since, the Festo North American Regional Service Center functions as the company’s main distribution hub for the continent. In addition to warehousing and logistics, the facility handles assembly of custom orders and production of specialized automation solutions for customers across North America. The site employs approximately 350 people.

The center also houses Festo Didactic, the company’s learning division, which designs and manufactures hands-on training systems used by community colleges to educate the next generation of technicians in manufacturing and industrial automation.

“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.”

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